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Chapter VI: Polar Shift

Five o'clock.

The alarm blared. Caleb wasn't sure why he was so grateful to hear the shrill, high-pitched beeping that had the potential to knock out all electrical devices in a three block radius. He reached towards his bedside table and blindly searched for the source of the noise. His paw found the device and with one, powerful yank, tore it from its socket and 'lovingly' threw it at the wall where it let off one last wail before it died and feel into the conveniently placed rubbish bin.

WHAM!

Cue David Hale.

"Up and at 'em, son! We've -" David's voice broke halfway through his enthusiastic announcement when he saw there was more than his son sleeping on the bed and the scents of two, male, sweating teenagers' bodies filled his nostrils.

Lars slowly propped himself up, peering at the silhouette David formed while shading his eyes. He had his other arm wrapped around Caleb's bare chest. The wolf snuggled up the Doberman's strong, chiselled chest, murmuring softly.

"Mr. Hale...?" Lars murmured sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Five o'clock," Caleb yawned sleepily, nuzzling Lars pecs. "Dad, can I get five more minutes?"

David blinked several times. His muzzle opened and shut almost as frequently as be blinked. Slowly, he began to back away, paws raised. "Sure thing, son. Erm... Take an hour. Actually, you're off training today. I'm sure you... uh... had plenty of... uh... exercise last night... Ah... Hi Firebrand - erm - Flare Blue - ah... Lars..." He gave the couple a stiff salute. "I'm going to go now..."

The door slammed shut, plunging the room back into momentary darkness. David slammed the door so hard that its lock failed to click and it swung back open just every so slightly. Two very awake young men perking their ears.

A few seconds later...

"Finally!" came Lillian Hale's cry.

"Mom!" came Lance's shout. "Geez! You scared the fuck out of me!"

There was some hurried whispering somewhere down the hall while Caleb and Lars exchanged knowing smirks.

"Finally!" Lance exclaimed.

"Dude!" Leon roared. "I'm trying to sleep here! I know you supers can get up easily enough and shit but..." His voice trailed off. Then... "What!? Really!? Finally!"

Abby joined in the shouting match and like everyone else, she too let out a squeal of delight and exclaimed, "Finally!"

Caleb snickered softly and stretched his arms. Though he felt that they belonged rightly around his boyfriend, he knew he had just bought them about one or two hours before they would be expected down at the breakfast table and the Inquisition. If he dallied too long, someone would come knocking on the door demanding them to stop boning one another and get down to eat. He rolled onto his back and crossed his arms behind his head, a content sigh escaping him.

"So... when do you think we should tell them we didn't actually _do_anything apart from strip down to our boxers and get raging boners?" he asked. A loud shuffling met his ears and he lifted his head slightly. "Lars?"

Lars was hurriedly putting on his pants, his underwear never having been removed from the previous night. Though with his own boxers in place, Caleb couldn't deny that he was getting hard just watching that tight, muscular frame squeeze into those jeans. He licked his lips watching Lars' bubble butt and stubby tail vanished behind the denim fabric.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Sorry," Lars replied in a hurry. "It's Thursday today, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Right... Well opening night is next Wednesday and the crew has practice every day before school since I can't practice after due to football practice. So, I need to get dressed, get my stuff from my apartment and jet to school before eight. What time is it again?"

Caleb reached towards his bedside table and checked his phone. "Five fifteen."

"Cool. I can probably get to my place in thirty minutes."

Removing himself from beneath the sheets, Caleb quickly took hold of the Doberman's shoulders, frightened that "Lars, you've got plenty of time. Relax."

"I can't relax!" Lars snapped. The moment he barked those words, his expression turned apologetic and the hot, hunky Doberman walked over, wearing only a singlet and his pants. "I'm sorry, Caleb, it's just there's the musical right around the corner, the big game against our rivals tomorrow and the fall dance right after. I still have to make the booking at the Space Needle, book the limo and -"

Reaching over, Caleb gripped Lars' paw tightly. "Hey, you don't need to worry about any of that." A gentle smile touched his lips and as cheesy as it sounded, he said, "I'm just glad that we're finally together. I mean, sure my family knows but we've still got make it official at school. Mary probably already knows and I _know_she'll end up blabbing to Rhiannon after she gets her ass handed to her probably as some diversionary tactic." He snapped his fingers. "Oh and we have to decide whether or not we're going to make Flare Blue and Weapons Master an item. I mean, I've got the meeting with _GUYS_magazine next week. Did you want me to say you're interested too?"

One look at Lars and he realised he had made a terrible mistake.

"Oh fuck!" exclaimed his boyfriend. Lars gripped his temples with his big veiny paws. "Shit! You're right! What about Flare Blue and Weapons Master!? I mean, it'd be great exposure and I'm sure I'd get some cash too from all the media outings and shit but what would my parents say!? They don't know I'm gay! What happens if I come out, call you my boyfriend and then they start slandering us!? What if they call you 'a corruptive force' or something!? I don't want to fight my parents! I mean they're total assholes but they're still my parents!"

"Lars -"

Rising to his feet, Lars began pacing the room in a panic. "And what about money...?" He lifted his gaze, staring into space. "I've got to consider our dates and everything... Plus I can't exactly put 'superhero' on my resume and get a good job! I need to start making contacts and contracts now before I hit senior year! But I can't if that'll mean exposing myself to the Alliance's slander!" His face hardened and he stamped his foot. "No! I need to be strong. I need to take whatever comes my way!"

Caleb's door opened just a bit and David poked his head through. The father of both Weapons Master and Feral Fang mouthed, 'Do you want me to talk to him?'

Caleb shook his head and gestured that he'd take care of it. With the memory of his own psychotic breakdown still fresh in his mind, Caleb made to catch Lars before another rant erupted from the Doberman's muzzle. However, Lars slipped past him, muttering to himself.

"What am I even going to be during college? What courses should I take? Go football? But what if Caleb goes to a fancy law or medical school like his mom wants instead of a sport school like me? I guess I could go med or law... but is it something I want to be doing? Shit! What if he follows his passions and goes for art? I don't have a portfolio! I could take up modelling... It'd be kinda hot to pose naked in front of a group of artists... it'll motivate me to keep in shape... and I guess I could get some professional photos taken and submit them to news outlets to be a model... Runway model, is that a viable career?"

It surprised Caleb how Lars really did just get lost in his own world and paced the room like he wasn't there at all. Fascinated by Lars' monologue, he stood by and listened as his boyfriend considered being a professional model but then dismissed it on the merit that he wanted a job when he was old. That led to the possibility of being an actor but that would mean he'd need to be in more plays and more musicals and there was only one play and one musical per year at West California High School. Could he cram in some extra out-of-school projects to his already busy schedule? What if he couldn't get into acting? There was always the possibility of being a teacher but what would he teach? Maybe he could be a coach for the football team. But was it something he wanted to be doing for the rest of his life? He was really enjoying the spotlight both on the field and on stage and he didn't want to be one of those coaches that failed as an athlete and was trying to live his 'glory days' through his team.

For some reason, Lars' train of thought led to...

"What happens if I was a porn star...?"

Before David decided to intervene, Caleb stepped in and gripped his boyfriend's shoulders, spinning him around. A kiss didn't seem appropriate at the moment plus his father was watching.

"Lars, listen to me," he said firmly. "No matter what happens, I'll always be with you, okay? Whether or not you decide to be an actor, pro football player, a teacher, a coach or even a porn star..." His door opened even more as David tried to make his move but Caleb lifted a finger subtly at him, asking for another minute. In Lars' semi-hysterical state, he didn't notice. "I'll always be here to catch you if you fall. Just like you guys caught me when I fell down on my face a few days ago."

He offered Lars one of his dazzling smiles and the effect started to tug at the corner of Lars' lips. "I've got you man, okay? Through thick or thin, I've got your back. Even if we break up -"

"We're going to break up!?" Lars exclaimed.

"No! I mean, I can't say for sure!" Caleb seized the sides of Lars' head, forcing them to look into one another's eyes. "Listen to me. Do you remember why we didn't go at it like wild dogs last night?" Lars nodded slowly but Caleb still had to say it. "We want this to work. No rushing it. We'll work through our problems together. All I'm saying is that even if the worst happens, no matter what, I'll be right here for you, okay?" He waved he paw around the room. "A friend of mine told me that when I feel the world moving to crush me from all directions, I just close my eyes, take one deep breath, hold it for ten seconds and then let it out."

He let go of Lars who meekly reached for him again but he remained just at arm's reach. "Try it now. One deep breath. Ten seconds. Eyes closed."

Lars nodded nervously. He closed his eyes... and took one deep breath, even comically blowing out his cheeks. The tension in his shoulders began to ease, every defined muscle shaking and twitching as if they were loathed to let the stress go. His fingers slowly uncurled from the fists they had formed. There was an almost audible metallic creak when Lars' right eyebrow lifted followed by the left. Ten seconds later, he let it out. When every last bit of his breath was gone, he opened his soft, brown eyes...

"Feeling better?" Caleb asked.

"A little..." Lars responded with a single nod. "Doesn't get rid of the problems waiting out that door though..."

"So... Why don't we make my room the one place in the world where you leave your troubles behind?" he suggested with a shrug. "Every time you come over and pass through my door, you leave all your worries behind. It's some place where you can take a breath, clear your head and then we can work on those problems together. How's that sound?"

Lars swallowed loudly... lifting his gaze to meet Caleb's. Then, he nodded. "Yeah, yeah that sounds good." He broke into a shaky grin. "Thanks man. That really helped. I... I've been freaking out a lot lately."

"Sorry if I missed any the past few days. I had my own."

Laughing softly, Lars ran a paw through his hair, blinking like he had just woken up. "Wow... Honestly, I'm surprised that we both came out of it sane." He gave Caleb a questioning look. "You're not worried about college or your career?"

"Not really because I know I've got you there to catch me." He wrapped his arm around Lars' broad, muscular shoulders. Tension still caused the muscles to bunch up and tighten. "Just like I'm here to catch you."

"Right..."

Caleb flicked an ear towards the bed. "So... It's probably just about six or something. You want to spend an hour or so cuddling before we face the troubles of the world?"

Lars pulled away with a mocking, disgusted look on his muzzle. "Dude. 'Cuddling'? What are you? Eight?"

"Shut up and get in bed."

They both spent a good hour or so in one another's arms, just letting time pass by and leaving the worries of the world on the other side of Caleb's bedroom door. They were both sporting erections so painful that it was agony not to pounce on one another but they were just grateful to be there with one another that neither wanted to break the moment. When seven o'clock came, Caleb quickly briefed Lars on the bathroom schedule.

Usually, Lance and/or David had the first run as they were up earlier than Caleb. Then it was normally Caleb's turn as he rushed for morning training. After that, it would be Abby followed by Lillian. Leon usually had the last go at the bathroom at after breakfast. That left both boys some time to squeeze in a quick shower before they both bounded down the stairs to breakfast.

When Caleb reached the bottom of the stairs, a peculiar sight greeted him. "Oh no..."

"What?" Lars asked.

Reaching down, Caleb plucked a pair of blue sandals monogrammed with 'LM'. "They already got you your own sandals. You know how my mom hates claws on the floorboards. Says it scratches the polish."

"Wow..." Lars answered, placing the sandals on the floor and slipping them on. "I didn't think stores were open this early..." Caleb gave him an exasperated look; a slight frown with eyes half-closed. "Ooooh..." Lars rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Were they really gunning for us to be together for so long."

"Probably since my dad caught us kissing at the hospital after the Minos incident. Maybe even before that." He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "Come on, let's scarf down breakfast and get you to your apartment. Then we'll head off to school."

Lars still looked a little nervous as he said, "Sounds great."

The Hale family were sickeningly nice to them both as they sat down and ate. Lars got an extra helping for breakfast which he eagerly devoured. When he couldn't finish it, Caleb more than happily helped which was a mistake as Abby made a comment about sharing food and how it was adorable. Lance playfully nudged him about wedding bells which prompted Abby to mention that she was so glad they were together before her wedding because having an empty seat next to Caleb would just look sad. Leon made a jibe about the kiss the previous night and got a whack to the back of the head from his father.

When the meal was over, Caleb took Ballistic, Lars holding him tightly from behind, and zoomed to the CBD where Lars' apartment was. There was something romantic about driving down the shoreline, spying the twin bridges linking the Island to the Californian mainland with his boyfriend's arms wrapped around his waist, sun just freshly risen and winds whipping past them. It was already seven forty-five by the time Lars got into his place and rushed to his bedroom.

"Better hurry up, bud," Caleb said, regarding the very stereotypical bachelor pad. There were pizza boxes and takeaway boxes everywhere and he could smell Lars' sessions of 'stress relief' in the air. "You got about fifteen minutes to get to school for rehearsal."

"I'll probably get there faster from the air," Lars shouted from his room. "Thanks for the ride, Cale, but I can take it from here. Besides, what're you going to do for an hour before school?"

As if hearing the question, 'Waiting for You' played in Caleb's phone. He answered.

"Caleb, we've got a development..."

"That's never good..." Glancing at Lars bolting around in his room, Caleb said, "Lars is heading to school for rehearsal. Do you need him?"

"It would be good to have the team in but I understand. I'll meet you here."

When he hung up, Lars asked, "Bren?"

"Yeah. Some stuff came up but he said that he didn't need your assistance. Head off to rehearsal, bud. I'll give you the short version after."

Lars gave him a thumbs up and hopped on one foot as he jammed on a clean pair of underwear.

Caleb left Lars' apartment and headed back to the Facility. It was eight-fifteen by the time he got there and it was with some dread that he noticed the White Room was not armed. His pace increased as he bolted down the booby-trapped room and had his identity verified. There was some vain hope that on the other side of the door would be the rest of his friends waiting with the words 'Finally' drawn on a banner.

Sadly, that was not the case.

The atrium was empty as ever. He heard voices coming from Elliot's computer room and he made his way to the messy, glorified fan-boy 'bat cave' with dozens of action figures on shelves, collectible cards in folders and discarded chip packets everywhere. Madman, Mary and Ben were already there with Bren and Elliot.

"Well, well," Elliot sneered. "Looks like Muscles didn't get burned after sticking his cock in Hotrod. Squeeze in a quickie before rushing over?"

"At least I have a hole to stick my cock in that it's virtual or inflatable," he answered smugly.

"Well we aren't too far off from one another, are we? You were a virgin, right?" Elliot gave him a mock-surprised look. "Oh wait, that's right. You fucked your brother before you fucked your best friend, didn't you?"

Caleb's paws balled into fists as he said, "What's the news?"

Bren let out a loud sigh. "Grizzly has escaped."

"Who?"

"Richard Hammerstein," answered Mary, her arms folded and her eyes watching Elliot's massive screen big enough to take up an entire living room wall framed by smaller screens 24'' screens. "Bear with spikes. Shattered your psyche?"

"Oh yeah... him," Caleb replied, unable to feel terrible about the event. In some way, Richard's words had made him stronger though thanking the bear would be too far. "How'd he escape? In fact, where were you keeping him?"

Bren nodded towards Elliot who brought up an image of a large, slab of metal floating in the air over the ocean. Appearing like an inverted pyramid with a whole city built on the base, the island looked bigger than Bal-Mordain had been.

"The US government has three facilities located all over the world for containing extremely dangerous supervillains," Bren said. "With the integrity of Bal-Mordain jeopardized and the fact that rehabilitation camps are just as vulnerable, they moved the victims to Avalon." He nodded towards the image on the screen. "This facility is unique..."

"You mean apart from the fact that it's a massive floating island?" Caleb asked.

Bren pursed his lips. "Actually..."

Elliot snorted loudly. "If Muscles had any brains, he'd put two and two together and realise that a facility of that size and magnitude would _easily_be noticed by satellites and the media."

He typed a few commands on his console and the camera zoomed out from the pristine, blue scene with the big, black facility floating over it. The endless blue of the sea and sky was abruptly broken by a vaguely spherical border. The entire scene hovered in the middle of what appeared to be an enormous laboratory with dozens of security personnel and men and women wearing lab coats working from console to console.

"When a person is deemed too dangerous to be allowed into the public but_isn't villainous," Bren continued, "they are sent to either _Avalon, Thule or Mu. Each facility has its own unique quirk that makes it both hard to enter and hard to escape. Mu for instance, Elliot, if you please..."

A few more commands on the screen and Caleb was shown an enormous underground cavern with an enormous hole in the cave's ceiling to allow natural light through. At the floor of the cavern, amongst the stalagmites and stone pillars was a massive facility of structures connected by bridges and highways. It looked like a miniature city.

"A facility that big..."

"Wouldn't go unnoticed, we know," Bren responded. "That's why it isn't exactly naturally occurring..."

Again, the camera zoomed out... a lot. Caleb's jaw dropped when a full grown fur walked behind the serene facility that stood at little more than the size of a baseball within a glass globe. The globe was suspended on a large platform with what looked like a replica of the sky hovering above it.

"Mu is an artificial cavern created with the help of several supers then shrunk down to the size you see now," Bren continued. "People within the facility are likewise shrunk down and made to believe that they are in some facility off the coast of Panama. The facility is maintained remotely by staff and automated drones. Unshrinking people from within is impossible. You need to be outside to perform the change. Even if one were to try and escape the facility, you'd be the size of a microscopic bacterium."

The image changed. This time, he was shown facility in the middle of the desert.

"Thule is actually partially phased out of reality using special spatial technology similar to the Time-Space Fold Engine equipped with Ballistic. No one can interact with it but those within the field can interact amongst themselves. Trying to escape the field will actually lead to permanent displacement, gradually phasing out that person into nothingness. Again, only special technology will allow for anyone to escape the facility. Of the three, it is the lowest in levels of security."

"And Avalon?" Caleb prompted.

"Completely virtual. Those kept within the facility are digitised and implanted into the facility. Avatars are used by staff to maintain the facility. Again, escape is very hard_._"

Caleb shook his head, stunned at the level of technology and fearful that Grizzly had actually managed to escape the completely digital world. "How did Grizzly escape?"

"We can't be sure," responded Elliot. "Could be an inside job or maybe he found a loophole in the programming. All we know is that one moment, he was there one moment and then the next, we wasn't. It might be an offset of Dragon Knight's ability to create portals anywhere to anyplace but I can't be sure." He shook his head with a sigh. "Dunno why he'd want to leave though. Living in a videogame would be heaven..."

"It's not a videogame," Bren chastised. "But Grizzly's escape is small news compared to what else happened."

A sense of rising dread with building in Caleb. "Really?"

"Yes. Elliot, show him."

Elliot, still vaguely dreaming of a videogame world, tapped his supercomputer idly. The image showed several of the remaining bears. It seemed that they were divided into two groups. One had the spikes growing from their back and the others seemed to be covered in some faint, brownish haze. All of them were not slavering, wild beasts. They were actually performing very sane tasks like reading a book, doing push ups or pacing.

"Taking the advice given from Richard, we continuously fed the first batch of infected," Bren said. "True to his word, after the batch consumed enough matter and released enough semen, they grew sane once more and_developed a secondary power. The first victim, name of Langdon Fa, was the first to regain sanity and he developed special glands that can emit a powerful petrifying gas. Anyone _but a bear steps into the gas and they will slowly find their very flesh start to turn to stone. All his 'victims' developed the same ability but potency seems to degrade with each successive batch of infections."

"Come again?" Caleb asked.

Elliot swivelled around to face him. "What he's saying, Muscles, is that every time a bear infects someone else, they transfer their powers over _but_those powers are significantly weaker. Fa can turn a fully grown feral cow to stone in ten seconds. The store manager that he infected needs thirty to turn one of the same size to stone. The police officers take at least a minute. We observed the same thing in Grizzly and his sons. Grizzly could regenerate his spikes instantaneously but his oldest son, Othello, needed five seconds to generate the spikes. His youngest, the third to be infected, needed fifteen."

Frowning, Caleb considered the new information. "And they can still devour anything and turn it into cum?"

Bren nodded gravely. "Yes. Though their 'hunger' seems to have ebbed. Many of the later batches complain that it is hard to fight it while the older ones are able to hold a whole conversation before needing to feed and subsequently orgasm."

Madman snorted and gave the screen a firm nod. "Sounds a lot like me when I was first infected... Do we know how this strain is transmitted?"

"I'm inclined to say food," Elliot responded. "But that would put into question why other people haven't been infected before now. I'm cross referencing the places Langdon and Richard ate at before they turned. Little hard now that Grizzly has escaped but Langdon has been extremely cooperative." He drummed his fingers on his console. "You've also got to ask why Grizzly transformed first if his sons ate at the same place..."

"Maybe it was some kind of specific dish?" Caleb offered.

Elliot shot him an exasperated look. "Uh-huh. Well if you want to go through the shit of the bears, be my guest."

"How're they coping?" Mary asked before another argument could erupt. "I imagine this can't be easy for them."

"They have been improving but it's too early to tell," responded Bren. "What worries us though..."

"Is that they're a whole new Generation," Caleb finished grimly. "We've got high-ranking infected on the level of the Gen 2s that are capable of creating an army with the same powers as them. Imagine a whole army of super-level Gene Stealers that are capable of thought, in depth combat analysis and unique personalities..." His eyes met the others.

"We've got Gen 3s."

******

Caleb took the worries with him back to class. The original five Gene Stealers had always been able to transfer their primary powers to their Thralls but said Thralls were always just copies of their Originals; same mindset and similar personalities. Their powers were also predictable and counters could eventually be developed. But with this new development, the Gene Stealers were capable of effectively creating an army of supers. Sure most of the army will have the same powers but when it was possible to create a unique power rapidly and then distribute that power across hundreds of troops, the numbers spoke for themselves. The diminishing levels of power was a positive light as well as the long and conditional 'incubation time' as Elliot put it but it was still a frightening step in the Gene Stealers' agenda.

When he sat down on the lunch room table with the rest of his friends, the topic being whispered was the development of the Gen 3s. Alex Connery was with them, having been training hard for some gymnastics meet he had coming up. Strangely, it seemed they had traded Lars and Ashton for Alex.

"Gen 3s...?" Alex whispered, his eyes cast down in worry. "Gen 1s were thinking, individual warriors with baseline superpowers like Madman... Gen 2s were a step above that with their own unique superpowers... Gen 3s..."

"Are all of the above but with the power to transfer their superpowers to those they infect," finished Mary grimly. "Elliot has sent his report to the FBI and they've reclassified the Gen 3s. Gen 3s that are the source of the infection are now being called Gen 3 Primes while the others are just Gen 3s." She stopped poking at her salad. None of them were feeling much like eating though Caleb had already devoured two hamburgers of his five - a significant loss of appetite on his part.

Ben raked his nails across the table. For a second, Caleb saw black claws jutting out from the tips of the werewolf's fingers. "This is bad... I've told my dad and he's worried as fuck. The rest of the Pack too. An army of super-level Gene Stealers... not even the Pack can handle that. Not with all the werewolves in the world."

"My dad is taking the news to the Alliance as well," Caleb said through a mouthful of fries. "I'm not sure how they'll take it."

Alex let out a thoughtful noise. "Has anyone considered that... I dunno, maybe the Gene Stealers are trying to do something for the betterment of all life on earth?" Everyone gave him a stunned stare and the short, lean human he just lifted his hands. "Look, all I'm saying is that this really does sound like they're performing experiments. Experiments are meant to either prove or disprove a theory in the hopes of working towards something greater.

"What if on the back of all of this, the Gene Stealers are trying to do something like, I dunno, bridge the gap between supers and non-supers or fix the stigma towards genetic modification brought on by the Gene Wars? Genetic equality and such?"

The silent stare he got just made him wince.

"Okay, withdrawn."

"Even if they were," Mary responded, "we can't be sure. We've never been able to capture an Original and even then, from what we've gathered from Thralls, Chimera really silos the work each of the Gene Stealers do. None of them know the full plan. Even our resident goddess of destruction doesn't know what's going on."

Rhiannon's cheery, chirpy tone cut through the conversation as she slid in next to Alex. "You summoned me?"

Alex stared at her in stunned silence. "Erm... who are you?"

The white wolf beamed brightly and held out her paw. "Oh hi! We haven't met. I'm Rhiannon. The Hound of Destruction. Seamstress of Chaos, Precursor to Death, Destroyer of Lives and up to most recently, according to the Court of West California Island, a convicted child molester."

Everyone - including Alex - shuffled away from her by an inch.

"Really...?" Ben asked quietly.

"Oh no. That last part was just a joke." She grinned brightly, eyes shut just so everyone knew how big her smile was. "I killed the judge before he hit the gavel to make the conviction official." She glanced absently at the ceiling while scratching her chin. "Come to think of it, I really should've killed everyone who was at the courthouse that day." She shrugged dismissively. "Oh well! Looks like a fun afternoon for me!"

Only the sound of Caleb munching on his third burger could be heard from the table. That noise revealed his location to the very psychotic Hound. Caleb swallowed his food loudly, a deer caught in the headlights of a charging eighteen wheeler from hell.

"I've got something to make you feel better, Caleb!" she announced suddenly, reaching into her pockets.

"It's okay," he responded, grinning shakily and holding up his paws. He feared something like the eyeballs of the judge coupled with a joke about justice being blind. "Really. I'm fine."

"No, I'm sure this'll make you feel much better!" She fished out a necklace... strung with dozens of large fangs. "Check it out! I got you a fang necklace."

Relieved it wasn't a disembodied soul, freshly extracted eyes or a severed head, Caleb smiled in relief and took the rather nice necklace. The string to make it was just a plain black but in between each of the large fangs were some colourful beads. It looked like Rhiannon had actually spent a lot of time making it.

"Wow, it's cool, Rhia. Thanks."

"It's made from the fangs of those bears you killed."

Mary, who had been drinking some water at the time did a spit take, splattering Ben in the shocked shower. Caleb instantly held the necklace out at arm's length eyes wide. Alex, who was sitting opposite to him, pulled as far back away from it as possible without leaving his seat.

"Oh don't worry!" Rhiannon said, grinning psychotically and waving absently. "I went to Shin-Lazar's place and talked to each of them. They wanted you to have it." Her features softened, becoming serious for a moment. "None of them blame you, Caleb. They all agree that they weren't themselves at the time. Yes, some have regrets and some wished they could have more time but Arcturus has this buddy that's just obsessed with happy endings and he's working with them to give them paradise."

"Shin-Lazar can't do that?" Caleb asked.

Rhiannon shook her head sadly. "Remember, those touched by the Gene Stealers become lost in the sights of the gods and Arty's buddy isn't really a god. Well, he insists that he isn't but well..." She waved the thought away. "We can read their past but without being able to read their hearts and their possible futures, we can't figure out their intentions. And the sad thing about gods is that they rely too much on their ability to read a mortal's mind or heart that they have lost all capacity to read basic facial expressions. They can make judgements based on what they know but gods _really_don't like being wrong."

"Can you tell I'm absolutely terrified of you right now?" Alex asked.

She turned to him, grinning with her big fangs showing. "Oh you're hyena-larious! Get it! Because you were related to the Gnoll thing!"

"Uh-huh..."

Caleb gave Rhiannon a smile, still appreciating the grotesque but admittedly sweet gesture. "Thanks Rhia... Oh hey, there's something stuck on this fang..." He pointed at the root of one of the fangs. There was a suspicious pink slab of...

"Is that blood...?" Ben asked.

"Oh hey! It must be a piece of gum that was left over from when I extracted it from that bear's corpse," Rhiannon said with a cheery grin. "Here, let me get that." She plucked the bloodied piece of flesh... and tossed it into her muzzle to the horror of everyone on the table.

Caleb was the only one that remained in his seat.

"Hmmm... this bear had chicken that night." She chewed on the bit a little longer. "Lemon chicken with a side of fried rice and... Hmmm... sweet and sour pork?" She nodded securely and swallowed. "Definitely sweet and sour pork."

Caleb was suddenly very hesitant to put the necklace around his neck.

"Someone please change the subject," Alex begged.

Ben sat back down and waved his friend down. "Now hold on. How exactly can you tell what kind of food he ate? I can usually tell the type of meat but not the seasonings or anything."

"Ben!" Caleb exclaimed in horror. "Someone, please! Topic change!"

Another cheery voice cut through their conversation and placed himself right between Caleb and Ben.

"Convenient topic changer at your service!" Ashton exclaimed, pretending to tip his hat to Mary. "So what awkward topic of conversation did I interrupt and therefore stop." He frowned and scratched himself behind his ear. "Come to think of it, I've just steered it back in the direction..." He slapped his paw on the table with a big grin. "Well, it's time for my turn on the page! Who wants to talk about my crisis!?"

"What are you talking about?" Mary asked. She leaned forward and sniffed the air. "Have you been drinking?"

"Don't be silly," the tattooed tiger said. "I can't drink at school. I just got high on paint thinner during rehearsals." Ashton shrugged. "And come on, I barely got three paragraphs to me this whole issue. I deserve some spotlight!"

Caleb shook his head and placed a paw on Ashton's shoulder. "Okay Ash, what's your crisis?"

"Simple!" exclaimed the tiger with the dilated pupils. "The star of the musical is missing!"

Exchanging glances, the group - including Rhiannon - became extremely serious and stared at Ashton. The tension was temporarily broken when Rhiannon blew a big, pink bubble from her muzzle. Caleb momentarily wondered if she had either converted the bloody piece of gum into chewing gum or if it had been chewing gum in the first place.

"Are you sure?" he asked Ashton. "Lars was in a hurry to get to rehearsal this morning."

"Well he's not there now." Ashton slammed his head against the table. "It's less than a week to opening night and our star has disappeared." He waved a finger through the air still with his head pressed against the ground. "I've got half a mind to think that he's been kidnapped by some other supervillain to break the story away from the Gene Stealers for a moment and remind the audience that this world is filled with more baddies than the Big Bad. But that doesn't really help."

Ben leaned towards Ashton curiously. "Huh... My mom says crazy things like this too. Though not necessarily when drunk or high." He glanced at the others. "Think he becomes clairvoyant when he's inebriated?"

"Get the kitty more booze!" Rhiannon shouted.

Mary immediately reached across the table and seized Ashton's head, holding it against her breast. "You are not going to give my boyfriend alcohol poisoning!"

While this was happening, Caleb was reaching into his pocket and fishing out his phone. He dialled Lars' number as he watched Mary and Rhiannon debating about how far they could exploit Ashton's questionable clairvoyance. Much to his relief, Lars picked up on the other end.

"Hey man, where are you?" he asked. "We're at lunch but you're not here."

"Oh! Sorry! I'm just heading to the Facility. Bren called and said he had something important to tell me. I'm guessing it's whatever he told you."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Cool. Ashton is here with us. He said you didn't make it to rehearsal this morning."

"Yeah. I just had a few things to figure out, ya know? Needed some time to myself."

He understood all too well. "Yeah. I know. I'll see you at practice, okay? We got the big game tomorrow."

"You bet! Hey, you mind if we shower at your place?"

Caleb stuck out his tongue lightly while his tail wagged excitedly. "Wanna spend the night again?"

"Absolutely. Check ya later?"

"Definitely." Caleb hung up and was about to report his findings when his phone rang again. This time it was his father. "Dad?"

"Hi son. Remember how you were going to sign that contract with GUYS magazine?"

His eyes widened. He had forgotten all about that. Originally, he was meant to have a meeting with the people at GUYS earlier in the week up after his breakdown, it had just passed him by. Guilt jabbed his stomach again as he feared that Hank may have just lost his job over his emotional state. Worse still, he had done an interview live on air without consulting them first, potentially breaking his promise!

"Shit! I totally forgot about it! Is Hank okay? Did he lose his job?"

"He's fine," came David's calm reply. "He called Bren in fact who called me about it. With Madman actually out and about as well, GUYS wants to sign you both up." There was a sound of ruffling papers and he guessed his dad was looking through the contract. "I've got the contract here with me, actually. It's not half bad. I think we can negotiate a better pay especially since GUYS is just a monthly issue. They have a rather comprehensive portfolio, you know. Blogs, articles online, live chats, printed media in some cases and apparently, they sponsor several TV shows too."

Caleb just stared blankly into space as his father continued to list some jargon about potentially using GUYS and its associated outlets to launch Arsenal's media presence. David already had some ideas about making _GUYS_the official magazine for Madman while Caleb moved onto a sister magazine about supers. He knew it was an attempt to make sure his son didn't go nude online but he let it slide and said he'd think about it.

"Anyway," David concluded_. "I'm going to meet with the CEO of GUYS sometime next week. Wanted you to come along. Already got Madman to agree. How's Tuesday sound?"_

"Great dad. Thanks."

"No problem." There was a pause on the other end. "I love you son."

"Love you too, dad."

When he hung up he turned to the others who had somehow moved to arguing about whether or not certain drugs could grant superpowers. Rhiannon was arguing that such drugs in their purest form couldn't possibly grant powers until the user already had inherent abilities. Ben was arguing otherwise while Mary just mentioned several normal people obtained powers from seemingly harmless over-the-counter medication. Ashton still lay with his head on the table.

"Hey Ash?" Caleb began.

"Yeah?"

"You coming down?"

"Crashing, yes. Lars is okay?"

"He's fine. He's just on his way to the Facility."

"Are you going to rush off to your chat with GUYS?"

He shook his head. "Next Tuesday."

"Damn... we must be reaching the page limit..." Ashton sighed loudly. "Oh well... I think I'll just sit here with by head against this plastic table finding endless fascination with the mustard stain in front of my nose."

Caleb smiled and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Just... try not to get drunk or high too often, okay? I think Mary likes his boys clean cut."

"Oh no she doesn't."

Caleb got up, swiped his last two hamburgers and turned around. "And with that, I'm out."

******

"Halestorm!"

Caleb turned as he shut his locker, his football gear on save for his helmet which he held under his arm. Coach Davison approached, looking worried and mad at the same time. It was a strange expression with his brows furrowed, his eyebrows lowered, a frown on his lips but his eyes filled with fear. It looked like he was afraid of pooping.

"Have you seen McLeod? He's not here."

"He isn't?" Caleb glanced to the opposite locker bay where Lars' locker remained untouched since he had stepped inside. "I thought he just beat me to practice today. There were other guys on the field and I just assumed..."

"He's not here," Davison said. "You two are best buds. You know where he's been? I asked around staff and he hasn't been all day."

"He... Hasn't?"

"No. And we've got a big game against the Leviathans tomorrow! This is our last chance to tighten our offense!"

Caleb worriedly thought back to his conversation on the phone with Lars about three hours ago. Recalling the panicked look his boyfriend had... and then the surprisingly calm words he had said over the phone... "I think I know where he is."

"Well find him!"

After a quick salute, he rushed out of the locker rooms and out of the stadium. He was on Ballistic five minutes later and racing down the streets back home. Just as he was about to make the turn into the suburbs, he stopped and quickly called Mary.

"Mary, hey, is Ashton with you?"

"He is. Why?"

"Can you ask him to come over to my house? I need his help."

"Are you going to get him drunk or high?"

He considered it a moment but decided that Lars didn't need that kind of confusing counsel. "No. I need him level headed and sober. He is level headed and sober, right?"

"Nursing a headache but yeah, he's not spouting gibberish anymore."

"Awesome. I'll be there in fifteen."

"No practice?"

"Emergency with Lars. I think he's camping out in my room."

"Stupid anti-psychic coating..."

Caleb hung up and rushed back home. Ashton was sitting on his front porch, an ice pack on his head and looking like he hadn't slept in days. After parking Ballistic, he gestured for Ashton to enter via the garage.

"How're you feeling?"

"Awful," answered the Brit. "I feel like there was a sixteen car pile-up in my skull and now the corpses are slowly decomposing." Shutting his eyes, Ashton winced and massaged his temple with his other paw. "So what's this about trouble with Lars?"

"Well..." Caleb wondered where to start. "Last night we sort of slept together..."

Ashton threw his paws into the air. "Finally!" He instantly grimaced, shutting one eye while putting the compress back against his temples. "Ow... that hurt..."

"Was everyone seriously just waiting for us to get together?"

Letting out a soft laugh, Ashton said, "Speaking from one who has touched your dick and caught you in a delectable lip-lock, I can tell you now that you were always in love with Lars. You were just having trouble crossing that border between 'bromance' to 'romance'."

Growling softly, Caleb said, "Well sorry to disappoint you but neither Lars nor I actually did anything last night. We just cuddled."

"Cuddled?" the tiger repeated, still keeping one eye shut. "What are you? Eight?"

Rolling his eyes, Caleb said, "Look, I just need help dealing with Lars, okay?"

"Why not get Mary?"

"Because Mary, despite how much she knows about us, will never understand what it's like to be a guy. I need a wingman to make sure I fly straight." Ashton gave him a sour look. "Okay, wrong choice of words but you get what I mean. Mary is great but you, me and Lars have held each other's cocks. That is something Mary will never have. Never." He made sure to emphasise that last word. "Of the group, we're the closest to him."

Ashton begrudgingly agreed. "Alright. So what do you think? Are we talking a false alarm at a nuclear reactor or Third Horseman of the Apocalypse?"

Caleb gripped the doorknob to leave the garage. "To be honest? I don't know."

Lillian Hale was already in the kitchen when the two boys entered. "Oh hi honey," she said. "Lars beat you home today. It's so nice of Coach Davison to give you the day off before the big game against the Leviathans."

Folding his ears back, Caleb slowly skulked to the stairs. "He didn't." He quickly dashed up the stairs and made it about five steps up when his mother shouted at him.

"Caleb! Claws!"

"Damnit..." he muttered to the confusion of Ashton. He prayed that his mom wouldn't get the fact that Lars lied to her but he was not so lucky. She was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs where his sandals were waiting.

"Are you telling me..." she began.

"Mom, please," he said. "Let me handle this."

Lillian narrowed her gaze. "I don't know, Caleb. A relationship is based entirely on trust and honesty. That Lars lied to you and me less than twenty-four hours since you made it official..."

"We didn't do anything!" Caleb shouted too loudly to be convincing. "Please, just let Ashton and I handle this."

Though her gaze remained dubious, she said, "Alright..."

Gesturing towards the stairs, Caleb led Ashton quickly made their way upstairs. He was anxious to open the door to his room to see what awaited on the other end but he knew he had to... for the sake of his boyfriend.

Slowly, he twisted the doorknob and pushed his door open. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped in shock.

"Oh what fresh hell is this...?" Ashton gawked.

Caleb's room looked like a ten year old had decided to play camp. A thin bed sheet had been pitched up at the centre of the room to form a canopy over the bed and half of the room. Some boxes had been set up on one end of the makeshift tent that almost resembled a fortress. The other end had a wall of neatly folded clothes. Various weight training equipment had been set neatly on the corner of the room that Caleb never used, stacked on top of one another to the point where they almost looked like three vertical jail cell bars.

Lars poked his head out from his tent, sniffing the air. His brown eyes went wide like pup's as he caught sight of Caleb.

"Cale! Welcome home!"

When Lars emerged from underneath the tent, he wasn't wearing anything except his jockstrap. He bounded over to Caleb and catching the wolf in a tight grip.

"Heeeeeey bud," Caleb answered without returning the hug. "Whatcha been up to?"

Lars released him and bounced over to the tent. "I've got it all figured out, Caleb! I'm going to live here!"

A quick exchange of glances with Ashton and the tiger said, "It's a little fast to be moving in together, don't you think?"

Waving a paw dismissively, Lars said, "Naw, we've been best buds for a whole year and soulmates for longer."

Caleb's heart melted. "Awww..."

An orange and white paw snapped its fingers in front of his face. "Caleb! Focus!" Ashton snapped. The tiger turned back to the mostly naked Doberman. "Okay, Lars, what's this about. Why have you spontaneously decided to move in with Caleb?"

Lars stepped back and pointed out the window. "Out there, college is looming around the corner, the school musical is giving me grey fur, football is breaking every bone in my body, the Gene Stealers are lurking in the shadows, my parents are brooding in their tower and an unsure future is waiting for me to just crash and burn while it laughs." Then he spread his paws. "But in here, in Caleb's arms, I'm safe. This is my sanctuary. I can just leave my worries at the door. So I figure, why not live here forever?"

Ashton stared at the Doberman like he was insane. "Why would you think that the problems of the world would just stop at a window?" Lars' eyes turned to Caleb and Ashton carefully traced it to the wolf who was desperately trying to avoid his gaze. "Why, Caleb?"

Caleb grinned at him sheepishly and fidgeted absently. "I sort of... kinda... said that he can treat this place as somewhere we can work on his problems together. And I have to emphasise that I said 'work' not 'forget'."

A loud sigh escaped Ashton's lips as he moved towards the bigger Lars and gently guided the Doberman onto the bed, pushing aside Lars's tent. There was a soft 'hey' of protest from the quarterback but little else.

"So from one psychotic breakdown to another," Ashton said with a sigh, running a paw down his face. "Okay... so how are we going to fix this?" He closed his eyes briefly... then opened them and regarded Lars cautiously. "So... your plan for the future is to live in Caleb's room for the rest of your life, give up on all hope of college, make Caleb the centre of your universe, leave the issues with your parents at the door, quit Arsenal and become a house husband?"

There was a mad gleam in Lars' eyes. "What? Oh no. I still plan to fight the Gene Stealers. It's just that in the past few months, I've been kicked out of house and home, disowned by my parents, have had to pay rent and buy my own food, pay for my own tuition and grow up faster than I ever thought possible! But in all that mess..." He reached over to Caleb, gripping his paw tightly. "The one thing that has managed to stay by my side and remain strong and true, the one issue that has found resolution, is my relationship with Caleb. I figure that if I'm going to get anywhere in this world, it'd have to be with Caleb as my guiding star."

Despite knowing full well those words were fuelled by some form of psychosis, Caleb couldn't help but wrap his paw around Lars' and let out a love struck sigh.

"Gripping onto the one thing that has managed to resolve itself and using it to guide you," Ashton said with a nod. "It's actually not half-bad."

Peering past his boyfriend, Caleb asked. "Really?"

"Yes. Except for one thing."

"What?" Lars replied, turning back to Ashton. The moment his head turned completely, however, Ashton pounced, pressing his lips against the stunned Doberman's. It wasn't an innocent peck either. There was tongue, a lot of it. Ashton went all feral tiger and ran his rough tongue all over Lars' muzzle, shoving his paw down Lars' underwear and squeezing the canine's plump sheath beneath.

Caleb was ashamed to admit it found the scene a little hot.

Ashton abruptly pulled away, wiping his lips with his thumb. "Well, good to have one more for the road."

"Huh?" Caleb asked, ears perked but eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Oh," answered the thespian feline with a stunned look on his features. "He didn't tell you did he?" With a loud clap of Lars' shoulders, he said, "Congratulations, your boyfriend now knows you slept with me before him."

Lars let out a loud 'What!?' before turning to Caleb in horror. "Cale, you've got to believe me. It's not like that! He came onto me."

"Oh yeah you did," Ashton laughed softly, a soft growl in his lips. "Let's face it, Master Hale, Lars is a virile, superpowered teenager. I'm not too sure about super physiology but I'm fairly sure they recover faster than others. That would logically mean that their semen levels reach bursting levels quicker." He leaned across Lars' lap, the Doberman lifting his paws away from the tiger like he was a mangy, diseased cat. "Do you really think that he spent about four weeks just working on the play with me?"

Caleb blinked several times, trying to process exactly what Ashton was saying. "Wait... are you telling me that you and Lars...?"

"What!?" Lars cried with an unusually high pitch. "No! I wouldn't! I love you Caleb!"

"Oh he knows," Ashton chimed in, looking directly at Lars. "Hell, I know it too. When you stuffed that puppy maker in my ass, all you did was whine for Caleb. Doesn't change the fact that you and I slept together multiple times because you needed your rocks off."

Knowing Lars, that couldn't be possible. Yes, Lars was a teenager but he was also a super! He had to learn self-control from an early age. Knowing full well how they felt for one another, he wouldn't - he couldn't- have slept with Ashton who was _Mary's_boyfriend.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"Thank you!" Lars said with a gallon of relief.

"Really?" Ashton countered, a devious look in his eye. "So the day that Caleb first returned to us after he had abducted him and you burst late into history class, sweating, panting and frazzled with me claiming that you were at 'practice', that wasn't at all suspicious?"

Caleb opened his muzzle to protest but then shut it tightly as he remembered that scene. "Huh... you know, now that you mention it..."

"I didn't sleep with Ashton!" Lars protested again, eyes wide.

"Of course you didn't," replied the tiger, patting Lars' shoulder sadly. He gave Caleb an apologetic look. "Really, he did stop after you came back to us. In his mind, he really was sleeping with you."

Ashton was suddenly yanked off the bed and slammed against the wall. "Stop it!" Lars snarled, fangs bared.

"You need this out in the open!" Ashton snapped back with a loud growl, his eyes were lasers. "For the sake of your relationship." His eyes turned to Caleb. "Caleb, did you ever confirm that it was Mary's dad sleeping with me while she watched?"

Eyes widening, Caleb realised he hadn't. "No... Mary was in on this!?"

Ashton's expression turned apologetic. "Don't blame her. She tried to stop us but really, she's just as hormonal as we are. Lars never touched her. But it sure as hell turned him on knowing that she watching us make out and spill our seed over one another."

"You're lying!" Lars roared, shaking Ashton violently. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes pleading at Caleb. "I didn't... You have to believe me, I didn't sleep with anyone! I love you!"

Caleb's eyes slowly began to narrow in suspicion... just as Lars' began to widen in agony.

"You're not safe in here, Lars."

Both footballers turned towards Ashton whose expression had softened into one of wisdom with a smidge of pity.

"If you think you're going to escape from your problems by hiding out in Caleb's room, you're wrong. New problems will find you. Hell, this thing that you're doing here..." He waved at the makeshift tent. "That's a problem in itself. I know Ben once called you a coward for running away from your problems but what you showed me just there..." He pointed between himself and Lars. "This thing right here? How you fought so hard to defend the one thing that's important to you above all else? That took guts."

Ashton inclined his head to the side, shaking it slightly. "Why can't you apply that same level of courage to the other problems that you're facing?"

It took a moment but Lars released Ashton and took a few steps away from the tiger. "You were just... acting?"

"It's what I do," chuckled the feline, dusting himself off dramatically. "But seriously, answer the question. I know your relationship with Caleb is the most important thing to you but you've got to see that this..." He nodded towards the camp. "This... this is just..."

"Batshit insane," Caleb supplied.

"Yes, that," Ashton said. Turning back to Lars he gave the Doberman a smile and a gentle shake of his head. "You see it, don't you?"

Lars, his eyes cast down, fell back into the bed and let out a ragged sigh. "I'm just so scared... Scared of failing. Scared of being alone. Scared of losing time. I mean, I've got the money I got from my parents' when David forced them to give it to me but that's finite. It's going to run out. I don't know how to work the stock market or what to invest in to keep the income coming. And I'm scared that whatever I earn from outings as Flare Blue will just go to Arsenal_and while I want the team to succeed, will I have enough to support myself _and make Caleb happy?"

"Hey, I'm not some girly princess that needs a butler to wipe my ass," Caleb responded. "I've got a job."

Ashton peered past Lars at him, a sour look on his face. "Hurting or helping, Cale? Hurting or helping?"

Keeping his muzzle shut, Caleb pulled back from the conversation.

"Caleb is strong, stronger than I'll ever be," Lars admitted, giving his boyfriend a smile. "He came out to the world for Christsakes! Hell, he kissed me on national television! I could never do that! I'm scared of scandals. I nearly pissed myself when I told the world Firebrand was Flare Blue especially since it got me kicked out of home! I was hoping to support myself with the money I got from the FBI but then Arsenal's funding gets pulled because of the Outsider reforms and now I don't have a stable source of income! I've been keeping my head down ever since but with the big game tomorrow, the musical next week and everything else going on... I just wanted stability!"

"In case you didn't notice, I had my mental breakdown recently," Caleb responded. "I'm not really that stable either."

Lars closed his eyes, shaking his head from side to side helplessly. "I don't know... I just... I just thought that when you asked me to stay over, I finally had someone to help me cope with all this bullshit..."

Caleb wrapped his arms around Lars' shoulders and pulled the quietly sobbing Doberman close in a hug. "Hey, you have all of us to help you. If I've learned anything from my psychotic break, it's that we'll always stick together. Don't feel that you have to keep everything to yourself, okay? I know you like being the tough but friendly quarterback but you can be honest with us, right?" He eyed Ashton, waiting for him to chime in. "Right?"

"Absolutely," added the tiger. "But not too honest. You can keep things like the colour of your bowel movements to yourself."

Giving Ashton a sour look, Caleb said, "Way to ruin the moment, Ash."

Lars pulled away from Caleb and gave him a loud sigh. "I get what you're saying... I guess... It's just a lot to be taking on my shoulders... I mean, I know I'm a super and all but I'm still a kid! High school is meant to be awesome but... now..."

Caleb understood completely. The simplicity of his teenaged life had been slowly slipping through his fingers but he still enjoyed the moments during football when it was all about the game, the voracious massacres that were the Hale family dinners and even the repetition of getting up at five o'clock every morning, breaking out of his room and running around with Lance and his dad. Those simple things brought him joy and peace.

If only there was a way to ease his burden...

Then an idea hit him.

"GUYS!" He got a strange look from both Lars and Ashton. "Lars, we can sign you up with GUYS. The magazine. It'd be a great launching point for making more money. Let me talk to Hank. Maybe we can get all of Arsenal in on this so it doesn't look like everyone signing up is gay. I mean, I know they're a gay interest magazine focusing on guys but I'm fairly sure they'd want the whole team, not just the gay guys. That'll keep your parents off your back and reel in the extra income!"

Lars' eyebrows rose. "You think they'd be interested?"

"Come on! Former superhero turned _Arsenal_supporter? Who wouldn't want the story on that?" He clapped Lars' back. "If anything, it's worth a shot! And if that doesn't work, we'll think of something else." Smiling at both Lars and Ashton, he said, "All of us."

"All of us," agreed Ashton.

Lars' eyes brightened. He threw his arms around Caleb, holding him tightly. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, bud. Anything for you." Gently, he prised Lars away from him. "So... you going to move back out?"

The Doberman chuckled softly. "Yeah. I've stopped being crazy. I'll pack my stuff."

"We'll help."

Ashton's ears twitched. "We will?"

"Yes. We will."

Groaning loudly, Ashton nodded and agreed.

"But first," Caleb said, pushing Lars towards the door. "You might want to apologise to my mom for lying to her. Make sure to wear your sandals down the stairs."

"Will she kill me?" Lars asked.

"Of course not. But if she has a wooden spoon in one paw, run."

Despite the whimper he made, Lars bravely strode down the stairs to the kitchen where Lillian Hale lay waiting.

Caleb sighed with relief and turned to Ashton. "Thanks for that. It was devious and evil and you really had me going there but thanks."

"I'm an ac_tor_," answered the tiger, puffing out his chest proudly. "I take pride in my work."

"Awesome." Another thought entered Caleb's mind. "Hey, you think you could give Lars acting lessons? I think he really likes this acting thing and he's even considered being a runway model. I think he'd make a killing."

Grinning, Ashton said, "Well, you know if you sign up Lars for GUYS you could get a professional photographer to get professional shots of him to make a portfolio. Then you can send it to agencies. Who knows what you might get."

"That's not a bad idea! I'll bring it up with Hank." He gently elbowed Ashton's sides. "Thanks. But one last thing."

"Oh?"

"Touch or kiss my man like that again and I'll rip your spine out and shove it so far down your dick that the dictionary will have to redefine the term 'boner'."

After a loud gulp, Ashton said, "Noted."

******

With the delay, Caleb and Lars were forced to stay an extra hour after practice ended, doing laps and hitting the weights hard in preparation for the game the following day. Both boys didn't mind. Feeling the pump in their muscles and psyching themselves up for the game helped them forget about the frets of the future. For his part, Lars didn't show any signs of a mental breakdown but Caleb could see his boyfriend still had that twinge in his eye when his mind wandered to the possibilities in the future. He didn't tell Lars about the possibilities of getting a professional photo shoot at _GUYS_or acting assistance from Ashton. Getting confirmation first and foremost was key.

Of course, with the hour delay, Caleb was an hour late for work.

"About time you got here, jockstrap," Lenny growled, bolting from one table to another. "Man the counter, will you? We're swamped!"

Smiling, Caleb hurried to the kitchen. Gabe was busy but had a big smile on his face, glad to see Caleb back.

"Hey kiddo," exclaimed the burly panda. "You doin' good? Coming through!" He carried a big pot full of chilli past Caleb.

"Yeah. Thanks to your advice." He hung up his bag on the coat hanger. "And I told you, my friends and family had no plan behind their attempts to cheer me up." Smiling over at Gabe, he said, "It was all thanks to you for picking through their insanity and finding some sense it in all. So... Thanks again."

Gabe's grey eyebrows furrowed at him. "Really? You sure?"

"Definitely." Caleb plucked his apron from the hanger, revealing a sign hanging behind it. A quick read of it made him lift his eyebrows. "Gabe... we're closing for two weeks?"

The panda gave him a big grin. "Yup! With all the extra business coming in I've finally got enough money to renovate the place and update the décor. It'll be just for two weeks. Then we'll be back better than ever!"

Strangely, the idea of being forced into his father's company didn't sound so bad anymore. The reveal of Feral Steel being Weapons Master's father live on air made the time they spent together worth more than just David's bizarre attempt to make Caleb as close to a super as possible. "That's great!" he exclaimed, tying his apron around his waist. "I can't wait to see how this place looks after the renovations."

"Hopefully we'll have more room on our wall of fame!"

Caleb flicked an ear at Gabe. "Wall of fame?"

The panda grinned as he began chopping up some onions. "Yup. Check out the right side wall, kiddo. Ever since Madman came in and endorsed the place, other supers have been dropping by. We had Feral Fang come in a few days ago. Had a picture taken with him and had it signed. Posted the photo on the wall like how they used to in those old cafes. Even some minor local celebrities came in. More people come when famous people eat here."

The effects of word of mouth especially when that mouth was famous truly was impressive. While he would've felt more comfortable if there had been a queue out the door, Caleb was sure that after some more endorsements and public showings, this place would have a queue a mile long. Plus some touch ups on the decorations would definitely help it stand out more.

He wondered if Lars liked Mexican... Then remembered the effect of beans on people's bowels.

"Sounds awesome!"

Caleb hurried out onto the floor. The dining room was packed and when he wasn't taking orders left right and centre, he was delivering them. Lenny didn't have time to slip sarcastic comments his way though he seemed to be an incredibly foul mood as the night progressed. His manner with the customers was cold at best.

"Here's your triple bean tacos," Lenny muttered, practically tossing the dish to Table 4. He walked away before the couple there could even say thanks.

Before Lenny made his way back to the kitchen window to pick up the next order, Caleb intercepted him.

"Hey, what's wrong with you tonight?" the taller wolf demanded. "I know you've always been pissy towards me but not the customers. What's up?"

Lenny gave him a bitter scoff and turned away. "I'm not going to be psychoanalysed by a muscle-head like you."

"What?"

The exasperated stare he got was frighteningly similar to Elliot's whenever he was readying a volley of insults. "I'm sorry. Was 'psychoanalyse' too big a word for your walnut sized jock brain?" In loud, patronising words, he said, "It means to think really hard about what another person says and make assumptions of what's going on in here." He jabbed a finger at Caleb's forehead.

With a growl, Caleb seized the smaller human's hand and twisted away, causing his co-worker's face to twist in silent agony.

"I know what it means, genius." He released Lenny's wrist, bringing a much relieved sigh from the older waiter. "But something's eating you up that you're giving the cold shoulder to our customers. You're not going to help Gabe get this place to be the best Mexican place in all of West Cali with an attitude like that."

"That's exactly the problem." Caleb's stunned look made Lenny shake his head and glance over his shoulder at the dining customers. There weren't any that needed attention so he quickly grabbed Caleb's arm and pulled him aside, right next to the drinks fridge where they couldn't be completely seen. "This place is my life. My only source of income."

Sensing another money issue like he had with Lars, Caleb just offered a soft, "Go on."

"I had big plans." Lenny ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to make it big as an artist here and then travel to have my art shown all over the world! But then my parents kick me out and... Urgh..." He gripped the sides of his head and shook it violently. "I still have plans but now they'll be delayed by two weeks! I've also got rent to pay next week and bills..."

It sounded like Lars all over again. This time, Caleb wasn't sure if he could pull the 'I'll always be here for you' card. He barely knew Lenny and most times, they were barely amicable to one another.

"Why not ask Gabe if he can just forward you your pay for the next two weeks?"

Eyes cast down, Lenny said, "I couldn't do that... He's got enough on his plate as is." He let out a grunt and turned his head away from Caleb. "And I don't expect some charity from you either. I won't take it. My plans just haven't gone as I had hoped." He let out a soft, dry chuckle. "I've always got a spare."

"You don't get a spare life, though," Caleb replied. "You don't get another set of biological parents either. Speaking from one who has never known his, I'd say you should make up with your parents. At least let them know that you still love them even though they were colossal dick wads."

Lenny glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "Can I use your words exactly?" He unfolded his arms slowly. "And you're an orphan?"

"Adopted, yeah. Pretty much dumped right out of the womb. But my parents picked me up and loved me ever since."

"So much for not having spare parents then," came the bitter response.

Giving Lenny a light punch on the shoulder, Caleb said. "I said biological parents. Your parents are those that raise you and love you. I don't care if you were raised by goddamn feral wolves in the woods. Those will be your parents not the ones whose genes were used to make you."

A thoughtful noise emerged from Lenny's pursed lips. "And if you met yours biological parents, what would you do?"

"Honestly?" Caleb replied with a shrug. "I don't know. I've never given it much thought." A bashful grin crossed his features. "I spent the last eighteen years believing that the married couple that I'm living under were my parents I don't see how meeting the people who gave birth to me will really change that." He let out a soft laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "If I were to meet my biological parents, I'm probably just say, 'Oh, that's nice' and move on with my life."

"Really?" Lenny replied, turning back to Caleb fully. "No, 'why did you abandon me?' drama?"

"I've got enough drama in my life to deal with, thanks."

They shared a soft laugh, perhaps the first they had ever shared.

Lenny looked out into the dining area. "I guess drama isn't what either of us needs right now." A deep sigh escaped him. "I'll figure something out. I'm just doing what you jocks always do; take your frustrations out on the world by repressing your latent homosexuality and building muscles to beat on the smaller guys to inflate your own ego."

"You really should stop living in pre-Horseman times and get rid of those stereotypes." He clapped Lenny on the shoulder. "Hey, Crossover is coming up. Why don't you come over and spend it with us?"

He got a dubious look from that. "You're inviting me over for Crossover dinner? We barely know each other. You're better off inviting Gabe."

Caleb grinned broadly. "You're right." He spun and poked his head through the kitchen door where Gabe was at work stirring and tasting a pot of beans. "Hey Gabe, wanna spend Crossover dinner with me and my folks?"

The panda froze, even going so far as dropping the spoon into the pot. He turned, eyebrows lowered in confusion. "That's kind of out of left field, kiddo. What brought this on?"

"No reason," Caleb responded. "I just figured that you and Lenny might want to spend Crossover with some friends instead of alone."

Gabe's muzzle opened briefly... then closed into a smile. "You know what? I'd like that."

"Great!"

Turning back to a stunned Lenny, he beamed. "So, how about it?"

The smaller co-worker gave him an exasperated stare and a roll of his eyes. "I'll think about it. If I have nothing better to do." He jerked his chin towards the dining room. "Go on, Table 10 looks like they need their drinks topped up." Lenny shook his head at the biggest table on the floor. It sported fifteen seats, all occupied by important looking businessmen. "Big party that... Gabe was so pleased that he personally gave them their orders and shook their hands. Of course, that could have also been because you were late..."

Giving his co-worker a nudge with an elbow, Caleb said, "You really should meet this guy I know. An orca and a real asshole just like you."

******

Jet Heller was a man who lived the fast, high-paying lifestyle of the Head of Communications for a major investment corporation. By day, he was closing multi-million dollar deals, distributing funds for clients, watching the stock market and collaborating with contacts all over the world. By night, he was setting up meetings, settling accounts and waking up people halfway across the world for one reason or another. If it was a weekend, he was partying hard, hitting the latest nightclubs and strutting around the place with a cigar in one hand and a new girl in the other.

But now that the Reacher Investing Corporation had hit some rough patches lately, those nightclubs fancy dinners and parties had to compressed with daily work. With the recent attacks on their various clientele from the Gene Stealers, Reacher had started to tighten the belt. The best the company could foot on their corporate credit cards was a 'team lunch' out at a new and upcoming - but still relatively cheap - Mexican restaurant on Threshold Boulevard. Apparently, several supers and some D-list celebrities had eaten there.

And even after the delectable dinner that he had to admit was worth more than he had paid, he still had to go back to the office at 8 PM at night with the rest of his team.

He paced the conference room, pinstriped shirt unbuttoned at the top with his tie resting loosely around his neck, jacket hung over the back of his seat. The rest of the team, fourteen of his best and brightest, sat slouched against their chairs, heads in their hands or madly typing away at their computers.

"What if we reach out to Arsenal?" Tim McGee suggested. "They were there when Steel Arms was attacked and when two of our guys became bulls and burned down the block nearby, they helped too. It'd help our standing with our investors knowing we have a team that has a long history against the Gene Stealers on our side."

Tracy Noriyama shook his head. "No, no, no. Arsenal_is still fresh and new. They're popular now but Weapons Master _just had a breakdown. They're still inexperienced. What our investors want is stability. You won't get that with greenhorns like them."

"Are you suggesting the Alliance then?"

Jet sighed loudly, causing silence from the rest of the group. "The best we can hope for is another greenhorn super. Maybe Feral Fang at best but that'll still bring us to the point Tracy raised. These supers and Outsiders are new. Investors what to know that we can guarantee protection of their assets and investments. Supers are just as likely to damage what they're hoping to protect as the villains they're fighting."

He sat down in his seat. The holographic interface immediately popped up in front of him displaying a typical keyboard and the two screens of his desktop. "If we ever hope to get Reacher out of West Cali, we need to first secure our assets here." Several documents popped up at his command, military leads and possible contacts. He swiped those away with a hand and he brought that very same hand brushing up against his slicked back, blonde hair. "Anyone else have any ideas?"

No one did - at least not any ideas they were willing to come forward with.

Jet could think of other possible avenues, none of them exactly fully beneficial to the corporation. Any of those leads would have great short-term gains but in the long-term, not so much. As the communications department, it was their job to spin what had recently hit the company in a positive light and reach out to clients to reel them in. However, what light was there when a primary asset had been damaged beyond repair in a Gnoll-related incident and then two of their own employees were turned into bulls under Minos? They needed security.

He ran a hand down his face, brushing his fingers against his five o'clock shadow. The past few weeks had been such a blur for him and his team that he wasn't even sure if he had shaved this morning. The little outing at the super-endorsed Mexican restaurant was a little reward to his team for putting in all the hours the past few weeks.

By tomorrow morning, he needed to come up with a solution to their fleeing clients. Only those loyal to Reacher were willing to stay and even then, they had lost so much in the Minos attack that they couldn't afford to move. With _Reacher_based solely on the Island and just starting to branch out into the rest of the US, these were bad tidings for the budding investment company.

Jet was starting to feel the hopelessness kick in. It was a bad sign that as he glanced to the right, he saw Tim already updating his resume. To his left Tracy was looking for jobs. He briefly wondered how many bites he'd get if he were to cast his net out there. But just like those many clients stuck with Reacher, he had invested too much time and effort into the company just to jump ship so easily. Perhaps it was corporate loyalty or fear of leaving his once cushiony lifestyle but he believed this was just a phase.

The company was going to pull through. One way or another, it was going to pull through. They just needed to downplay the setbacks that were out of their control and start advertising their many, many achievements.

He picked up the takeaway bag he had gotten for himself containing three chicken burritos. The penny pincher in him had hoped to just reheat the burritos, saving them for lunch and dinner the next few days but all the stress was getting to him. He needed fuel to make it through the night.

As he unwrapped the foil keeping the burrito nice and warm, he glanced over at the rest of his team. Heavy bags were hanging from underneath their eyes and it didn't look like any of them had really had a good night's rest. Beneath the pressed suits, heavy cologne and styed hairs, he could sense their distress and dread.

"Let's call it a night," Jet said with a sigh, taking a bite out of the burrito. Even though it was just warm, the delicate spiced avocado sauce and the tender chicken was heavenly. He took another bite, filling his mouth with the moment of reprieve from the stress of the world. "We've done all we can tonight."

"But boss -" began Tim.

"I'll ask for an extension on the deadline," interrupted Jet with a wave of his hand. He that was an impossibility. Tomorrow was a hard deadline, no way around it. Bad enough they didn't have a concept but they didn't even have a presentation. "Everyone head home to your families. Get a good night's sleep."

He sounded like a commander on the field telling his troops to spend one last night with their loved ones before they went on a suicide mission. It was exactly how he felt. The executives of Reacher were far from forgiving especially when they lost money. Jobs would be at jeopardy tomorrow with Jet's at the forefront.

There were cautious looks exchanged amongst his team but one by one, his team began to pack their things and head off. Jet put on a brave face and smiled as one by one, they left and he was left alone in the meeting room with only his burritos and the looming deadline around the corner. He finished off his burrito and began typing and email to the heads of _Reacher_asking for the extension he knew would not be coming. He bounced back and for the idea of including the team in the email but then decided that if anyone was going to lose their job, it'd be him and he didn't need to drag anyone else down with him.

Corporate America was brutal and he didn't need to make it even more so. He was already making plans on how to make do with his severance package for a while until he got a new job when his stomach growled at him.

"Stress must be getting to me," he muttered loudly. He reached for his second burrito, unwrapped it and took a bite. In the ten to fifteen minutes since he had the first one, the meal had crossed that threshold from 'just right' to 'too cold'. He swiped up his two remaining burritos and headed out of the conference room into the kitchen adjacent. After unwrapping both meals, he placed them on a plate and stuck them in the Auto-Oven.

Regarding the dome-shaped device, he marvelled at the little piece of ingenuity that had been granted to them by the furs when they had crossed over from their dimension into this one. In some ways, the furs and humans were technologically equal it just so happens that where humans spent research equally on all fields of science, furs had to gear theirs more towards military might and defence especially since they had been under constant threat from alien forces.

The Auto-Oven was one such ingenuity. Any piece of food stuck would have its composition analysed and then an intense beam of some sort of ray that Jet could never understand, would heat it up. As he watched, about twenty spindly, mechanical arms sprang from the interior of the dome and began firing red beams at the two burritos, targeting areas that would take the longest to heat before extending to the extremities. It only took three seconds before the meal was completely heated. It was always three seconds.

In the war-ravaged society of pre-Crossover furs, they couldn't spend more than that waiting for food.

"Crossover," Jet sighed softly.

The celebration of when the furs crossed over from their dimension into the human dimension, saw the zombies that had come from the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse and eradicated them all, saving what few humans remained in the world. It was a global holiday and for the US, had been made a public holiday. Some would argue that it had taken the place of an ancient holiday known as 'Thanksgiving' which apparently celebrated a similar event with British Colonists and Native Americans. Some people across the US celebrated both events but Crossover was celebrated globally.

Jet usually spent Crossover at some party but this year, he wasn't so sure. Plucking his burritos from the Auto-Oven, he carried it back to the conference room to finish his email. He tried to be as formal as he could, tapping away at a formal apology for not being able to meet the deadline while padding it out with some ideas they came up with, providing pros and cons for both. Though they hadn't settled on an idea, at the very least they could show that they were working on it. He threw some of their proposals around. He was sure the idea of getting Arsenal on a defence contract would cause a stir and save some jobs.

He was just about to hit 'send' when he realised that his other hand was empty, the burrito having long been eaten. Once again, his stomach rumbled signifying a need for sustenance. Considering how this would effectively be his last meal in this office without the looming dread of job hunting looming over his head, he hit the 'send' button and seized his last burrito. Jet switched off his console and moved to the big window behind him, peering out into the expanse of West California Island.

It was amazing how just around a month ago, there had been such devastation from the Minos attack. Now the city had moved on so quickly even if some companies were still recovering. He munched on the burrito, mulling over the all the reparations that needed to be made and how some companies must be making a killing over all the repairs. Insurance companies were likely getting dozens of customers who wanted to guard their assets against supervillain attacks.

Sadly, Reacher didn't have a branch in insurance...

Jet's heart suddenly leapt in his chest.

They didn't have a branch in insurance...

And some insurance companies were _surely_having to make massive payoffs for all the damage caused... They'd have a lot of business but they would need an influx of funds as well...

Jet's chest tightened with the possibilities, barely breathing as his mind reeled with possibilities. If Reacher could make investments into these insurance companies, they could spin it in such a way not only was Reacher moving to help in fixing the damage but also making wise investments!

He was so engulfed in his thoughts that he never noticed that the weight in his chest was growing, forcing him to lean forward against the window. Every breath he took was deeper and longer than the last. The tightness in his chest began to grow but every second that it constricted around his lungs, his lungs expanded, pushing them back. The neckline of his collared shirt began to widen, thick cords appearing across his neck, flexing and relaxing with every quickened breath he took. Inch by inch, the fibres of his beard lengthened, quickly turning his five o'clock shadow into a light stubble and then within ten seconds, a full, blown beard.

Jet never noticed as he quickly spun around and hurriedly logged back onto his console, impatiently waiting for his mail program to kick up. He began drafting a proposal, never noticing as the tightness in his chest became more than just a heartburn-like sensation. His already trim physique began to pack on an incredible mass of muscle. The pecs he had lovingly developed grew firmer, bigger and developed a perfect, mound with its peak his perfectly round, erect nipples. The buttons of his shirt began to strain at their seams, showing off the chiselled chest and the abdominals that were quickly coming in.

So engrossed in his work, Jet continued to tap away even as the bones in his spine began to grow and push him upwards. The discomfort of the growth was dismissed as days with barely enough sleep and even the gnawing hunger that was biting at his stomach like a mad lion clawing at its cages was ignored. Even when his biceps strained against the fibres of his shirt and his ballooning forearms caused the fabric to tear at the seams, he didn't notice.

Jet absently scratched at his beard, quiet enjoying the feel of the claws that began jutting out of the tips of his fingers against the thick, black beard he sported. Facial hair began to spread rapidly. Like a wave of growing grass, long strands of fur began spreading out from his beard, clumping together with the downpour of sweat that covered him and filled the entire conference room with a thick, heady musk. These strands weren't black, however. They were a pure, silky white.

He scratched at his chest as the white fur rolled over his prominent, strong collarbones and massive shoulders. The large, blade-like claws from the tips of his fingers tore at his shirt, ripping the fabric and releasing it from its torment. That allowed his massive, muscular chest to finally breath and the tightness in his chest to relax. For the briefest of moments, he was exposed to the air conditioned air of the office, his deep, black nipples hardened at its touch. Then, the white fur began to spread over his chiselled pecs, first appearing as a light dusting between the valley of the two mountains, growing thicker and thicker until it overflowed out of the valley and poured across his pectorals and down his abdominals. Eager to reach his cock and balls, the white fur shot down his abdominals, making a perfectly white treasure trail while seeping through the blocks of his abs and spreading. For the briefest of moments, there was a delta of white fur across his lower torso but like his pecs, the fur spread, covering everything from his ripped thighs up to the v-shaped back he now so proudly sported. The last remnants of his shirt fell off his shoulders and hung limply over his pumped arms.

The moment the bolt of white fur struck disappeared into his pants, Jet found himself growing aroused. But his mind was still solely on the email and though his clawed hand reached down and tore right through his slacks to seize his rapidly growing cock, his other was still typing away. His tongue fell out of his lips, its underside brushing against his thick beard while he shamelessly beat his massive pole, dripping precum all over the holographic screen of his console. He had to delete the mistakes the drops caused and lean back to make sure every drop of the salty, clear fluid fell on his chest. The massive pole became a jet black just like his nipples, one, massive thick vein running up its sides and pumping fresh blood and new mass into its rapidly growing ten inch member, the goal of fourteen inches just on the horizon. With every lap of his massive hand, his balls jostled; blissful encouragement for them to fill with more and more cum and increase their capacity. In his mind, it would be just like Reacher; his balls would be like the company and with this email, they would grow. As the white fur wrapped his sack completely in their embrace, he let out a ferocious growl, unlike anything a human could produce.

But he didn't care.

That sound was totally appropriate.

He was a predator. He was a beast and he would be the face of Reacher. He'd be the saviour of the company. This one idea would make sure the company was saved and then they'd spread their influence past the island, all over the States and then all over the world! He'd go back to partying all night, sleeping with someone new hour and he'd have all the money in the world!

A loud grunt escaped him and with it, his arms finally joined the rest of his body. Thick, white fur erupted first from the strained sleeves of his shirt, throwing aside the useless fabric onto the floor. Black fur that matched his beard and hair radiated from his sweaty armpits, carrying his dominant scent throughout the entire conference room. Those same furs grew all over his forearms, giving him a really manly, hairy appearance. Not to be outdone, is chest grew the same hairs from the cleft of his pectorals, spreading halfway across his chest like someone had taken a paintbrush of black and splashed it across his muscled chest. For a second, he thought his crotch was left out of the fun. In response, thick, black fur sprouted all over the base of his balls, rising up halfway his abs.

The chair groaned underneath him as his weight became more than it could handle. It shattered and he slammed into the ground, one massive paw still on the keyboard. The collision jumpstarted the change across his legs. This trim thighs ballooned out, muscle pushing through his slacks and torn underwear and discarding them readily. The white fur spread across the cut forms of his quads and hamstrings, bringing with them massive veins to supply his new, longer, bigger legs with mass. His calves erupted, getting that perfect cleft between them, each muscle being as big as his forearms. He absently kicked off his shoes before his feet could burst through them. The moment the claws and soft, leathery pads came in, he let out a loud ground and began to rise.

Across the boardroom, eyes wide in horror, were Tracy and Tim. The rest of his team standing right behind him with eyes wide. A vicious grin crossed his features but he was forced to close his eyes and shape his lips into a soft 'O'. His jawline jut forward, taking his thick beard with him. His ears tickled as the white fur crawled all over them, each strand reshaping them and carrying them to the top of his head. His brow receded with his growing muzzle. The human nose disappeared into a black, leathery point at the tip of his muzzle. A loud, feral moan erupted from between his sharp fangs. His grip around his cock tightened as the transformation completed.

His eyes sprang open, deep and black.

"B - B - Boss...?" Tim stammered.

"Here's a pitch," said Jet with a big, toothy grin. "Suck my cock."

Lightning fast, Jet hit the 'send' button to his email and vaulted over the conference room table. He collided with Tim, sending the _much_smaller human into the ground. His huge paws seized Tracy, pulling the man straight off the ground. He planted his lips straight on his co-worker's before tossing him aside, knowing full well that one small act damned him. The feeling of someone sucking at his cock made him turn towards Tim below him, the man's eyes glazed over as they became a deep black and the same white fur began spreading across his face.

The rest of his team scrambled away in fear.

But he knew they wouldn't be able to escape.

As Jet Heller let out his load into Tim's developing muzzle, his thoughts went back to his email, because now that he had sent it to all the executives at Reacher, he only felt one thing...

...

Somewhere in West California Island, dozens of _Reacher_executives were looking at their phones and consoles, brows furrowed and frowns on their faces.

All they got was a strange email from Jet Heller... that repeated 'Hungry' over and over and over again.

******

Hero Taco had been busy all night and it was with some relief that Caleb waved goodbye to Gabe and Lenny, ready to head home, grab a quick bite to eat and then hit the hay for his morning training with his dad. He surprised himself by actually looking forward to ritualistic entrapment at 5 AM in the morning followed by some rigorous training. If something else came out of his breakdown, it was that he had a renewed appreciation of his father.

He also hadn't talked to Lars all night and he worried that the Doberman had decided to camp out somewhere again. Just as he plucked his phone, however, 'Waiting for you' played.

"Bren?" he asked, plucking his helmet from Ballistic.

"Have you ever seen the Aurora Boreals_, Caleb?"_

"Live? No" Caleb replied with a shrug, regarding the phone curiously. "Why?"

"Well, you better head over to the ReacherInvesting Corporation building. I'll send you the address."

Caleb slipped on Ballistic and the moment his rump fell on the leather seat, his clothes began to warp and twist with the blue light of Rhia's magic. "Oh... Got it."

He jammed on his helmet and revved the engine, switching on Weapons Mode instantly. It was with some curiosity that he noted Rhia had decided to add the bear tooth necklace around his neck to the attire. He shook it out of his mind.

Quickly, he dialled Lars' number on Ballistic's dashboard.

"Not now, bud!"came the shout. He heard dozens of ferocious roars behind Lars' voice. "Kinda swamped here!"

"Just glad to see you didn't decide to camp out at my place again," Caleb said with a grin.

"Yeah well, nothing like another Gene Stealer attack to really give you the kick in the balls you need to realise you're being stupid."

"I'll be there in five."

Caleb hung up and kicked up the Time-Space Fold Engine. He and Ballistic became transparent, zooming right through traffic while leaving a faint, blue trail where he went. News helicopters were already hovering over the scene for more than just the battle. The RIC building was one of the skyscrapers in West Cali, not very prominent and certainly not the tallest but when there was a localised instance of an Aurora flickering above it, it stood out.

"Whoa..."

He had to admit that the shimmering, rainbow bands were beautiful but at the same time, his heart filled with dread at the sight. People were stopping in the middle of the street and getting out of their cars, peering and pointing up at the scene. When they saw him zoom by, the immediately started tapping on their phone to check what the news had to say.

Caleb switched on Ballistic's radio.

"Diane, I'm here above at the Reacher Investing Corporation watching as members of Arsenal combat what seems to be another Gene Stealer attack. This time, the foes seem to be polar bears who have the uncanny ability to -"

A loud crash erupted from the radio followed by screams. He glanced up and spied one of the news helicopters being seized by an enormous, ethereal, hand made from the shimmering lights of the artificial Aurora! That same hand threw the helicopter aside, sending it hurtling towards a nearby building.

Caleb slammed his paw against the panel for Funny Bone_and flung his paws forward. Huge, panels of white bone sprung from the target building, carefully spearing the hurtling helicopter before it could completely crash into the structure _and keeping well away from the passengers.

"... I... I seem to have been saved by Weapons Master! Wherever you are, Weapons Master, thank you! Thank you!"

Caleb took a shortcut through an alley between two other skyscrapers and came up to the street of the Reacher Corporation.

A scene of beauty and havoc unfolded before him. About twenty or so polar bears were rampaging both in the atrium of the skyscraper and on the streets. Mary and Lars were in the atrium, keeping the bears there from spilling into the street while the others were desperately trying to stop the massive bears from escaping their four-man blockade. Burst of flame were flying from Lars' paws and David was using his powers over metal to keep the bears back. But amongst the bears were a variety of ethereal weaponry. One bear was cloaked in shimmering armour, another had a massive cleaver over his shoulder while a third had two extra pairs of arms growing out of his back. All weaponry seemed to be made out of the greenish-gold lights of the Aurora above them.

"What the...?" Caleb murmured.

"They have yet to develop sentience again," Rhiannon said, suddenly appearing beside Caleb. "But..." Her brow furrowed. "One of them has. I don't understand his motivation... Something about insurance policies and job security...?" She inclined her head to the side while her eyes were narrowed. "He's specifically ordering them not to kill... Animalistic instincts mixed with developing cognitive functions has granted them the ability to mould the Aurora into some sort of solid-light weaponry that is personalised to them. Hold off for maybe a few more minutes and you might be able to talk some sense into them."

"Let's hope so," Caleb responded, stepping out of Ballistic. "Polar bears are the biggest of the ursine species."

"Actually, some argue it's the Kodiak."

He gave her a sour look before hurrying to stand beside his father. "Dad!"

David grinned at him briefly before being forced to immediately dodge to the right. A wall of steel erupted between the two wolves. Six, massive, ragged cuts appeared across the wall, glimmering claws tearing at the metal like it was made out of bread. Caleb staggered away as the bear tore right through the barrier, letting out a ferocious roar, cock still throbbing and squirting cum.

"We need to contain them!" David shouted. "Madman! Port! Port!"

The hyena gave him a confounded look. "What?"

"Your left! Left damnit! Left!"

Madman spun and saw the bear desperately trying to make it past him encased within an orb of the aurora light. The hyena slammed into the orb, smashing right through the field and shattering it like glass. He collided with the escaping bear, the two massive men hitting the ground in a tight grapple.

"Just say left next time!" shouted the hyena.

Realising the stakes if the bears got loose, Caleb slammed his paws into the ground. Large, sharp bones erupted from the ground around him, forming the same dome-like barrier that he had erected with his encounter with Grizzly. Knowing how easily the bear's aurora weaponry could cut through even metal, he added a little extra to the barrier. Every vertical shard of bone developed several, horizontal long spikes at varying lengths and intervals. It made approaching the barrier dangerous.

"Nice work, son!" David exclaimed with a grin.

The bears, now suddenly trapped within the enormous barrier, began to back away.

A tremendous roar cut through the air.

BOOM!

A massive burst of aurora light exploded from the atrium. Lars and Mary were sent hurtling through the air. Both were severely bruised and beaten and when they hit the ground, Mary dropped instantly into unconsciousness.

Caleb rushed to their aid, kneeling beside the two with the others. The polar bears began to retreat.

Lars barely managed to prop himself up. "Fuck... that asshole is strong!"

"Who?"

To answer his question, the biggest of the bears stepped out of the atrium. He was a little different from the other bears, possessing a short, trimmed, black beard and similar black hair over parts of his body. A quick glance at the other bears, he noticed they all looked rather... generic. Just big, muscular, hung and erect polar bears. He glanced at them, looking for signs of developing sentience.

Strangely, he spied one particular bear start to... change a little. Short, red hair began sprouting between his ears and his snow-white brows started to become red as well.

"Let my guys through and you'll live," growled the biggest of the bears.

Bren stepped forward, gun raised. "You know we can't do that," he said. "We can't let an outbreak spread into town. Just give up now and we'll give you the best treatment possible. We'll find a cure."

"A cure?" the bear growled. "Will your cure help us when we're back to normal? Will your cure fix the damages we've caused and pay for the time lost? Will your cure feed mouths and pay the bills?" He snarled at them. "No, it's better for us to stay like this, wild, strong and a menace than to go back to how things were!"

"It doesn't have to be this way," Bren answered calmly. "If you just -"

"I'm not listening to you anymore!" The bear lifted his paws into the air.

Caleb's danger senses kicked in and he immediately grabbed the unconscious Mary, throwing himself to the right. Lars followed while Madman, Ben and his dad bolted in the other direction. Bren who remained in the same place, looked up and got a sour look on his face.

"I'm going to get killed by the Aurora Borealis..."

SMASH!

Huge, stylised swords made from the same rainbow lights descended from the skies, smashing into the ground. Bren, who was at the epicentre of the attack, was cut in half brutally. Dozens more came crashing into the ground around them, each on the size of a truck. Much to Caleb's horror, the blades smashed right through his bone barrier.

He set Mary down and -

WHAM!

Was sent crashing to the ground by a huge fist. That same fist seized the collar of his uniform and lifted him up into the air. He found himself breathing in the stench of the head bear, the guy's breath smelling like he had been sucking cock all night.

"You're always the one that beats the other Gene Stealers," growled the bear. With his free paw, the massive ursine seized Funny Bone and wrenched it off his arms, tossing them aside.

"Weapons Master!" David shouted. His father was suddenly thrown aside as five massive polar bears crash tackled him to the ground, keeping him down.

"Why are you doing this!?" Caleb pleaded, fighting the urge to kick the man. "You know we'll find a cure! You know we'll stop at nothing to stop you! You're the victim here, not the villain!"

Strangely, the bear's eyes softened. "I know."

"Then why!?"

"So that you can stop me."

Caleb's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Listen to me," came the whispered reply. "My name is Jet Heller. I don't know how I transformed or why I was targeted but those others back there..." He flicked an ear at the other bears. "They're good people. My team as head of communications for Reacher. Some of the others are just the cleaning staff. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They might've lost their jobs tomorrow because of some bad publicity Reacher was had recently but this way, they can at least have something to help support them."

"What are you talking about?" Caleb asked.

"Kick me a couple of times. Make it real." Caleb grunted and flailed a little. "Good. Those guys are going to get a hell of a lot of money from the government as compensation for the transformations. Probably have enough money to live the rest of their lives in comfort. But only if I'm made the villain. If it's made to look like I'm their leader."

Even those guys on the football team that had suffered from the Gnoll attack had been given quite a bit of compensation and some therapy after what had happened. Caleb wasn't so lucky since by the time his infection had been revealed, he had been outed as Weapons Master. He guessed that if it was revealed that the other bears were sentient, they wouldn't get as much...

"Are they capable of thought?" he snarled, trying to look like he was saying something vicious.

Jet shook his head slightly, confusion on his features. "No. That's the thing. I think they're getting there but I'm the first to get my thoughts back. They follow whatever I say. I dunno, like an alpha or something."

"We'll make sure they get a cure. You too."

Jet snarled at him though Caleb could see it was all part of the act. "Thanks. But to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't mind remaining like this." He offered Caleb a wry grin. "Got room for another member of your team?"

Caleb smiled gently. "Let's see how this goes first."

"Fine. Just make it a good fight."

Jet lifted Caleb into the air and then immediately slammed him into the ground. The impact left Caleb with agonising pain but his mind was racing with this news. Jet had the makings of a true hero but he needed to be made to look the villain to help his teammates. It was honourable and something Caleb truly admiring. He didn't want to hurt any of them but he needed to make it look real.

With a growl and all of his might, he rolled to the side as Jet brought down a massive punch. The impact of that big fist caused the ground the quake. Caleb glanced past Jet at where Funny Bone rested and then to his left where Ballistic sat far out of reach. He didn't have the speed to grab any of them before Jet caught him.

"I will not let you stop us!" shouted Jet, nice, big and dramatic.

He needed a weapon... Any weapon...

He glanced around, searching for something. As he moved his head, the fang necklace around his neck jostled.

Funny Bone had been made from the arm of a hyena under Gnoll's command and became a persistent weapon. Branding Iron was made from the horn of a bull. All were made from the matter of an infected.

The fangs...

Caleb snatched the necklace and grinned at Jet. "Hey, fatass!" he shouted loudly for everyone - including the media helicopters - to hear. He lifted the necklace at eyelevel. "Bite me."

Soft, blue light instant encased the necklace, ethereal feathers springing from it. The light instantly split the necklace into two parts, both wrapping around Caleb's wrists. The light spread all across his paws and a little up his forearms. Large, blade like claws erupted from it, the same slightly yellowish sheen as the fangs. Thick, brown fur brushed away the blue light in the shape of white feathers.

Caleb brought up his paws in a boxing position, remembering his father's guidance on the perfect stance. Wrapped around his paws were a pair of gauntlets shaped like enormous bear claws and strapped down by thick, black, leather straps.

"You think that can beat me!?" Jet roared. He charged forward.

Trusting his weapon entirely, Caleb flung his paws forward as if to punch the polar bear.

A large burst of something black and liquid erupted from the ground beside him.

SPLAT!

Jet roared as the black liquid hit his eyes, blinding him and causing him to flail. Caleb was still in the way of the bear and nimbly dodged to the side. Jet's bare feet landed on the length of black liquid on the ground. The bear comically launched into the air, slipping on the fluid and crashing into the asphalt beneath him with a loud bang.

Caleb glanced down at his gauntlets. On some unspoken command, an orb of the black fluids appeared hovering above his paw. His reflection stared back on the slick, oily surface.

Oil...

"It's oil!" he exclaimed. Then an idea hit him. "It's oil! Flare Blue!"

He flung his paws left and right, huge bursts of oil erupting from the ground. What remained of Caleb's bone barrier was suddenly coated in the black flammable liquid. Lars, who was barely keeping several bears at arm's length, saw the opportunity and flung a single fireball into the barrier.

The effect was frightening in its beauty. The oil instantly caught on fire and spread rapidly. Within seconds, the entire barrier was alight, illuminating the streets and forming a fierce barrier. Lars was far from done. With the new source of power, he drew the flames to himself. Fire danced from the burning barrier and cloaked him in a red aura. He flung back his paw and unleashed a devastating punch. His fist shot forward, cloaked in flames. Those very same flames erupted, enlarging into the size of a car and shaping itself into a ghostly image of his fist.

The bear he struck was sent hurtling across the street and straight back into the atrium of the Reacher building.

Lars grinned.

Another bear tried to seize him in a might bear hug but the moment the ursine's flesh touched his aura, it burned his flesh and the huge infected was sent scurrying back, parts of his fur alight.

"Here's something I learned from you guys," Lars said. He flung his paws high into the air. Every flame that emanated from his body shot into the air like a continuous geyser of flames. The fountain eventually broke and began raining down upon the battlefield. Each droplet of fire reshaped themselves into a searing, fiery blade. The bears screamed and roared as the blades punctured their wrists, legs and arms. Nothing fatal but enough to send them crashing to the ground, disabled.

One by one, each of the bears were subdued. Even Jet was forced to curl into a ball of agony as the fiery blades dissipated and he had to clutch his paws from where they were cauterised. Though his healing would take care of the pain, the battle was over.

Caleb raced over to Lars, pulling himself back just before he threw his paws around the Doberman.

"That was awesome!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know you could control other sources of fire like that!"

"I didn't think I could!" Lars answered with a big grin on his face. "I guess... I guess after today, I must've just gotten them..." His grin grew bigger. "And it's thanks to you."

Caleb shrugged absently. "Nah, that was all y -"

He never got to finish.

Because at that moment, Lars McLeod AKA Flare Blue of _Arsenal_flung his arms around Caleb's neck and pulled them both into a passionate kiss.