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Arcadia: Changed

349:10:23:08:45:12

"Holy crap!"

Kevin beamed at his exclamation. The Builder eagerly led the trio consisting of Finn, Skip and Savage into the enormous settlement. So much had changed in the course of a night and Finn could scarcely believe that the walled stronghold he was entering was the same one he had helped valiantly defend just a night ago. The walls had been reinforced. Instead of being just a single block thick, it was now at least four blocks thick and glued together with concrete. A mechanism had been built on the river-side wall to allow for a section of the wall to swing back, effectively allowing for a bigger, broader entrance way but still strong enough to hold off against an attack. Stairs had been built beside the walls and what looked like ballistae set along the wall.

The blocky structures had been modified to look a little like a miniature town. With an open parking lot that could fit two thousand spaces, there was a lot of room for the Builders to put various structures. Each one showed some unique design though it still came from the same basic, blocky principle. Finn saw two neighbours had built a bridge between their two top floors on one side of the little city. Another structure was single-storeyed and was built to be longer than tall. Large structures had been built on top of the grocery store to look almost like castle and several Builders had set up shop in the garage of the store, tinkering with the machines there.

"I know, right?" Kevin exclaimed excitedly. "We all worked throughout the night! Didn't want Hammerhorn to come charging at us again while we were asleep."

"Um... Is that... healthy?" Finn asked, absently rubbing the back of his head. He brushed his hand against the hardhat that was once again in his possession, a faint blush touching his cheeks. Kevin had practically bowled him over and slammed it onto his head when they had met.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked, tilting his head to the side. The bags under his eyes were quite deep and dark.

"I mean... working through the night with no sleep..."

Savage let out a chuckle. "Depends on your definition. From a human standpoint, it isn't. But Builders are different. Remember, they used to live on routine. An hour after sundown every day, they always fucked and then went to bed. At the crack of dawn, they all got up, ate breakfast, fucked and then went to work. Having worked through the night shows that they broke their routine."

Kevin lifted his eyebrows. "You know that much about us, huh?" He beamed in his broad, grinning way and turned towards the stronghold his people had built. "Well, I'll have you know we didn't all work through the night. Some people finished their projects earlier than others. They went to bed shortly after that. They fucked each other first and dragged a few of the others down with them but it was still so... random!" He let out a soft, high pitched squeal, his tail wagging excitedly. "I've never felt so... alive! Not knowing what'll come next. Not knowing what other people are going to do! It's so exciting!" He turned to grin a Finn. "Is this how you live every day?"

"With this loon?" Savage laughed, placing a shoulder on Finn's and leaning his entire weight on him. At first, Finn thought he'd collapse under the weight but was surprised when he found that he could carry Savage's weight easily. "It's even more exciting."

"You know he built a soccer field in Arcadia?" Skip piped up. His ponytail had vanished beneath the customary Builder hardhat and he was barely recognisable amongst the other rhinos were it not for his soft, brown eyes and his somewhat leaner physique than the others. That and the energy he just exuded. Most the Builders were quite energetic but Skip was like spring coil wound up so tightly that he was just itching to burst.

"Soccer? What's soccer?" Kevin asked.

There was so much space in the parking lot that Finn just had to grin brightly. "Well..."

"Oooh! Renegade!" Skip exclaimed, tugging at Finn's baseball bat. "Can I borrow this for a sec?"

A little irked at his train of thought being interrupted, Finn said, "Um yeah, sure. Take it." He shrugged at Skip hurried over to where two Builders were sitting underneath a shade drinking what appeared to be coconut milk. "Where was I?"

"You were going to tell me about soccer?" Kevin said with a smile.

"Oh yeah!"

Finn began explaining the mechanics of soccer from where they stood and he was just about to get to the point about penalty kicks when -

"Skip! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Savage roared.

Finn glanced over to where his fellow Collector was standing. The young Collector had another Builder bent over in front of him with the baseball bat angled to be inserted into the rhino's ass. The other Builder's eyes were genuinely wide in curiosity while his companion was staring on in bewilderment. Finn's cheeks began to burn at the idea of his weapon being used as a dildo.

"I'm enlightening them," answered Skip answered with a grin. He spun the bat absently in his hand. "I mean, what else are we going to give these guys apart from sporadic protection every ten weeks, right?"

Savage growled at him and snatched the bat away, loudly reprimanding the young Collector who just seemed to take it all in stride and say some things that made Savage blush.

"Ten weeks?" Kevin repeated, his mood suddenly dampening.

Now came the harsh reality of their situation. Finn suggested they talk somewhere private and Kevin took them to a corner of the facility a good distance away from everyone else. There, Finn explained how the Gates from Arcadia worked and the cycle they worked on. Kevin's mood darkened with every sentence that he finished. He absently began scratching his largest horn which Finn took as some nervous habit.

When he finished, Kevin was silent for a long moment.

"So after today, I won't see you again for another ten weeks."

"Nine," corrected Finn. "On the tenth, the Gate to Hornton opens again."

"Seems a little... dickish that you'd dump all of this on us and then just up and leave." Those words stung Finn and he visibly looked hurt. Kevin caught sight of the expression and dropped his gaze in shame. "Sorry... Just... We're in the middle of a war here. And it feels like things would've been simpler if we had just given up and become Wreckers. Or if we had survived, we'd just go back to the way things were... But now..."

"Yeah... I know," Finn said. "It would've been so easy to just remain a Cultivator back where I'm from. But wanted to change things. Everything just seemed... stagnant to me. It was wrong. We were worshiping Collectors as these brave heroes but isolating them at the same time and treating them with fear because they choose to become Beasts for the sake of the rest of Arcadia. At the same time, Constructors and Cultivators were just living each day as it came. There was no goal for the future. I wanted to change that."

Kevin rested his back against the wall, rubbing his horn absently. "So we were wrong as well?"

"No! I mean... yes. But... not like how we were." Finn grunted as he glanced around himself, searching for inspiration to formulate his words. "Look, we all used to be human. Humans used to be Beasts. But the _Conglomerate_made out to save us. Bring us back to being humans."

"And is that what you want in the end? To make us human again?"

"No!" Finn exclaimed, lifting his hands. "Look, I got some wise words before I woke up in Arcadia. Humanity isn't defined by what shape you take. I've taken those words to heart." He reached out and gently gripped Kevin's arm. "I don't care if you're a Builder, a Wrecker or a Collector. Your humanity is defined by how you act and how you treat others."

He nodded towards the masses of Builders milling about on their own little projects. A pair was actually setting up a seesaw while a group was digging what appeared to be the making of a pool. A smile touched his lips. As opposed to all the Builders working towards a single goal, now there were different goals, creativity was allowed to flourish and everyone seemed so much more... human.

"In my eyes, what I see out there is more human than what you were before."

"And what makes you so sure that your definition is the right one?" Kevin challenged. "What if the ideal human is one who works cooperatively with his fellow man and does not raise a hand of aggression against even those that would strike him?"

"Maybe it is," conceded Finn. "But I think if you were given the choice, you wouldn't want to turn back now, would you?"

Kevin sighed softly and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I guess... I'm just a little angry that you'll be leaving us with all this..." He waved at the settlement. "I know what you've given us is something special. But I can't help but wish that you would stay here a little longer. We made it this far but I feel that I'll be stumbling back to being that kind of Builder while you're gone."

Finn didn't miss the fact that Kevin specifically said 'you'. The edges of familiarity and affection in his voice were a little worrying. He was already considering the possibilities of convincing Gantry to stay the nine weeks with the Builders to stabilise their mindset. But he felt that after his antics that previous night, that would be really pushing it. The ice was thin enough as is and he felt that if he so much as nudged a toe out of line, he'd be kicked out of the Collectors so fast he wouldn't even get time to apologise.

There was such a thing as too much change too soon.

"Well, I don't think any of the others will mind if I spend most of the day here with you guys," he said with a smile. "I mean, it'd just be confusing if the Collector you were dealing with kept swapping in and out, right?"

"What about your need to keep your people fed and supplied?" Kevin asked. "We've got a lot of supplies we can spare but someone has to take them across and from what you told me form the Gates, only those with a Key can pass, right?"

Finn gave the question some thought. "Let's get Lobo, our leader in here. Maybe we can nut out a steady trade system or something. My team and I can supply you guys with knowledge about what we know about the world and 'enrich' your society or something. In turn, we share in some of your surplus. That way, we both win."

"For today. Then we don't hear from one another for another nine weeks."

Back to that point again. If he didn't know any better, Finn was sure Kevin wanted to come with him through the Gate. He briefly considered it but he remembered how paranoid the other Arcadians were when approached by Collectors. The only time they tolerated one another's presence was when someone was presumed dead and they had to throw his stone into the lake. Bringing a Beast in there...

... He doubted the other Collectors would approve anyway...

"You know there was some merit in how you ran things before," Finn said with a smile. "You just took every day one step at a time. It might've been the same thing over and over again but I think if we stress too much about the future, we'll end up not watching where we're going and lose our way." He pulled Kevin into a manly hug, draping one arm over the Builder's broad shoulders and shaking him slightly. "So come on. Enjoy what time we have left and promise me that the next time I come around, you're going to have a kickass fortress, flying cars and a Hammerhorn chained in your dungeon."

Kevin's features broke into a shaky smile. "I guess..." He took a deep breath. His features went blank again but it was only for a fraction of a second. "Okay... So let me show you what we've built in the store..."

******

349:10:23:11:14:40

Gantry had his Glade, Cross had his kitchen and the Twins had their games room. Even Marv had his garden. Every Collector save perhaps Finn and Savage had a place of their own. Finn because he was still finding his feet and Savage because his only true hobby was butting into other people's business and tormenting the Arcadians when they came by. Admittedly Savage did like to whittle.

But for Lobo, he had his training yard.

He stood in the centre of a square clearing on the western side of the camp, far enough from the rest of the Collectors to have some privacy. Unlike the rest of the forest that was covered in thick underbrush or the tall grass that made of the Glade, the ground had been covered in a thick layer of sand. Three big, wooden poles had been positioned in a vague triangle around the centre of the lot of land.

Slowly, with his sword in hand, he began to turn in place. Each of the wooden poles was a Beast, just like one of those Wreckers that had overwhelmed him and forced him to succumb to Hammerhorn's power. Just thinking of that huge Wrecker caused his cock to stir. The Beast inside of him had been so _eager_to get out ever since that fateful kiss. It had become harder to keep it down but Lobo gave that over to his complacence with dealing with the burden he carried every day. He thought that after years of fighting that Beast, it had finally learned its place but Hammerhorn had stirred it spirit.

So now, Lobo brought his focus on his hobby, instilling the mental training and discipline he had learned and developed over his years in Arcadia to block out the Beast. Unlike the others who imagined their Beast in a cage, Lobo just chose to ignore it. Yes it was there, yes it tried to sink its fangs into him and drive him into a bestial state but he found that if he just ignored it, its power was greatly diminished. Acknowledging its existence gave it strength. Pretending it wasn't there weakened it greatly.

Lobo took a deep breath, taking in the crisp, clean air of Arcadia, his home. He let out the collected air in a loud roar and brought his sword swinging around against the wooden training dummy. His blade cut deep into the wood and he yanked it free immediately. Using that same momentum, he spun and gave the dummy to his right a glancing blow where he imagined a Wrecker's face would've been. He kept spinning in place. He only stopped when the last dummy was in sight. He lunged forward with his blade outstretched, shoulder colliding with the dummy while his sword slid past it, sliding into the imaginary Beast's gut.

He let out a soft sigh and pulled away from the dummy.

"Reminds me of the days when we used to spar."

A grin crossed his features as he pulled away from the dummy and wiped his brow. "You always beat me though. You were always stronger, faster and smarter. I would've thought they'd pick you to be a Collector over me." He turned, smiling brightly at Travis who leaned against a nearby tree, his arms folded across his broad chest.

"You had one thing over me that got them to pick you over me though," said the ebony skinned smith. "You wanted to be a Collector."

Lobo wiped the back of his sweaty neck and plucked his cowboy hat from his head. "And you didn't. Even now, I'm really the only Collector you can stand. Hell, there's ten feet between us and that's the closest you'll ever get to another Collector."

Travis held up his hands, the smile on his face an admission to his bias. "I'm grateful for all that you guys do but I've always been of the belief that we don't need to steal from the Beasts to make our living. Hell, while Finn was around, I thought we were actually going to start making progress towards phasing out Collectors entirely."

Lobo's heart constricted at those word. Though he would not admit it to his friend, he loved being a Collector. There was endless adventure behind the job and it gave him a taste of freedom beyond the walls of Arcadia. It gave him a view of the outside world.

"He was making real changes, you know," Travis said with a distant grin. "A soccer tournament... a stage... I honestly wished I could run into him so I could pick his brain for other ideas. I figured he'd at least look somewhat human since it's only been a few days..."

"He's a fully-fledged Collector now. We call him Renegade." Lobo spoke a little more defensively than he had intended but he felt a little hurt as he always did when Travis openly admitted to having reservations about the Collectors. When his friend lowered his gaze and his shoulders sagged in submission, it only reinforced Travis' view on Collectors.

"Ah. So he really is one of you now."

Lobo considered all that he could say at that moment. He could react snappishly, challenging Travis' view like he had the first few weeks when he became a Collector. He could just shrug it off like he'd done so many times before. Or...

"He's still the same guy he was before. Still does what he wants and still does what he thinks will make things better for everyone. Just yesterday, he revealed our secret to the Builders of Hornton."

Travis flinched. "He did what?"

It felt a little good that he had caught Travis by surprise but he also felt terrible for feeling good about that. "You heard me. He talked to a bunch of Builders. He's right there now talking to them. Negotiating a peace treaty I'm assuming. For all you know, we might have a steady influx of trade coming in. We'll be getting a steady supply of resources from one of the most industrious Beasts in this world of ours. Hell, we might even get some visitors from -"

"No!" Travis snapped, storming forward. He closed the gap between them to nine feet. "Don't you even dare think about that. Remember the last time someone brought a Beast in here?" He jabbed a finger in Lobo's direction, particularly at his hat. "Do you remember what happened to Shaun?"

Lobo regarded the hat solemnly. "I remember..."

"Then don't let Finn bring any Beasts in here!" Travis pulled back and lifted his hands in apology. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped and it's your business what you Collectors do out there. But when it impacts Arcadia, _then_it's my concern. More supplies, great. But don't go giving anyone any tours. You know we can't hold our own against Beasts."

"I know. I remember." Lobo placed the hat back on his head. "But I think what Finn is doing is good for us. All of us. If you want him to spend some time with you guys to help improve the Collective..."

Travis held up his hands and stepped back a few paces. "Maybe let him do his thing with the Builders first. Don't want to divide his focus when he has to constantly fight the Beast inside of him."

Lobo knew that was a poor excuse but he didn't call Travis on it. "Alright. Hope your tournament goes well."

Travis turned and started to leave. He paused just before ducking behind a tree. "Maybe you should come and watch."

Nothing would've made Lobo feel better but he knew that he and his kind weren't exactly welcome in Arcadia unless they were bringing sacks of supplies. "Maybe at the finals."

Without another word, Travis disappeared into the forest and was probably heading back to the Collective.

Lobo felt exhausted not only from his training but from his encounter with Travis. There was so much that Travis needed to know about Collectors and the good work Finn was doing. But at the same time, Lobo wasn't going to force the truth down his throat. Such forcefulness was what got Shaun into trouble...

He dipped his hat downwards to hide his eyes as he slipped his sword back into its scabbard. Returning to camp didn't need his entire focus. It was a path he had trodden many times before and knew by pure instinct alone. The smell of rice and some sweet pork filled his nostrils and he followed it towards the mess hall. Cross was due to take his team through the Gate next and, naturally, the cook was preparing enough meals for everyone since he considered everyone else's culinary skills 'unworthy' of his kitchen.

Some sweet pork buns had been arranged artfully in numerous mounds on the table and Lobo sat down in front of one. He eagerly ate them one by one, taking each one in a single bite. He filled up a tankard with water and gave a toast in Cross' direction. The cook had Rush - Marv - and Crash at the counter, no doubt briefing them on their task at hand. He did notice Lobo's toast and flashed the Collector leader a grin.

A heavy weight fell in beside him and just by the faint flowery edge of the scent, he knew it was Gantry.

"They aren't back yet," grunted Collector with the slight belly.

Lobo already knew who Gantry was talking about. He had sensed the previous evening that the Hornton expert held his reservations over Finn's actions. Gantry had said some fairly supportive things in the heat of the moment but they were all with the aim of self-preservation. When they had escaped, Gantry was one of those that had spoken out against Finn's official induction as a Collector.

"They'll be back," Lobo assured him. "They know their mission."

"Savage and Skip do. But does Renegade?"

He let out a loud sigh and set down his mug. "What is this really about, Gantry? Is this really about Finn? Because quite frankly, if you were this reserved about his actions, you shouldn't have taken him through the Gate when he chose his trinket and his hobby or you should've thrown him back through the Return Gate after he tempted fate by letting himself get clothed by the Haze."

"Don't put this on me," growled Gantry in return. "That kid is reckless and has a complete disregard for how we do things here!"

And there, Lobo saw Gantry's true concern. "Admit it. You liked how Hornton was. Just the way it was. The fact that it's changing scares the shit_out of you. You're scared that you won't be the Hornton expert anymore because you _know your knowledge is quickly becoming obsolete." He jabbed a finger against Gantry' shoulder. "You failed to anticipate Hammerhorn's movements. The Builders are changing. You're just looking for someone to blame."

"He is to blame, damnit!" snarled Gantry

"No, he is not," Lobo growled back, his fist closing around the wooden tankard almost to the point of splintering the frame. "We couldn't have anticipated Hammerhorn's appearance. We don't know enough about him to have completely guessed where he was going. We _all_made the mistake of thinking he was just like another Wrecker. I don't blame you for choosing that settlement to take your trainees. It was the best option based on what we knew. Just as I don't blame Finn for making the best of the situation."

Lobo narrowed his gaze at Gantry. "So set your anger aside and stop looking for someone to blame for something that was no one's fault."

"But he revealed our secret to those Beasts!"

"If you remember, we were those very same Beasts not too long ago," Lobo said calmly. "If you go around treating them like they're beneath you, then you're the monster."

A loud holler came from further upstream and Lobo craned his neck. Skip and Savage were making their way towards them with Skip struggling with what looked like a miniature sled full of supplies. It was certainly _much_bigger than what they normally retrieved. Renegade's absence did not go unnoticed however and Gantry shot Lobo a look simply screaming 'I told you so.'

Lobo ignored the look for the most part and got to his feet while the rest of the Collectors began to crowd around the two.

"What've ya got there?" asked Cross, bending down towards the sled. Various canned goods and fresh food in crates were stacked on top of the sled and tied down with some rope. He sniffed it and his eyes fluttered. "Ah... fresh basil and oregano... Haven't smelled that in years!"

"Yep! Kevin and his Builders gave it all to us," Skip said proudly. "We actually had two sleds worth. The other we gave to the Arcadians."

"Damn nearly shit their pants, those pinkskins," chuckled Savage. "Never so much food in their life. I admit, we get a hell of a lot more when we aren't lying through our teeth."

"What happened to Renegade?" Lobo asked.

Skip looked like he had just been hit with a bucket of icy water but Savage just shrugged and said, "He stayed behind with the Builders organising. He's building them a soccer field."

Fully aware of the glare Gantry was giving him, Lobo said, "We never leave a man alone beyond a Gate if we have a choice, Savage."

The big rhino shrugged. "Aw, he'll be okay. The Builders are really decent folk now that they're not zombies going about just thinking about building and fucking. Besides, we're going to head back as well."

"Your shift is over," Lobo stated.

Savage lifted a challenging eyebrow at him. "Yeah but we don't leave a man behind, remember? Besides, Kevin seemed pretty adamant that he's only going to deal with Renegade especially since we won't be seeing them for another nine weeks until the Gate opens for Hornton again." He shrugged absently. "I figure, what's the harm?"

"I'll tell you what's the harm," barked Gantry, storming forward. "If that kid goes full Beast, who will save him!?"

"Like you care," snarled Savage. "From what I remember, you were all up for throwing him back through the Gate and letting him be a full Builder. You said he was 'corrupting our brotherhood'."

Before a full argument could erupt, Lobo placed himself between the two rhinos, hands up and pushing them back away from one another. "That was a bad move, Savage. I know you trust the Builders but we've got the Wreckers, Hammerhorn and the Haze to contend with out there. I'm okay to send you both back there to keep Renegade sane. He can stay as long as he wants but he _has_to leave before sundown. Those streets are dangerous. Hammerhorn's Wreckers could be anywhere and in the dark, it's even more dangerous.

"In the meantime, we'll still be sending the others through." He cast his gaze around the camp. "Do your jobs, people. Nothing has changed. Except maybe instead of stealing from the Builders, we're actually receiving it willingly. Introduce yourselves. Break down those barriers. Make it last so that when the Gate opens again, we'll have friends waiting for us on the other side and not enemies. But I'm not letting anyone stay beyond sundown, got it?"

"What!?" Gantry exclaimed. "I'm on the evening shift! You're cutting off my patrol?"

"I'm shortening it along with everyone else's," Lobo retorted.

"And Renegade gates to stay as long as he wants!? How is that fair!?"

"You're welcome to stay there as long as you want as well, Gantry," countered Lobo. "Everyone is. Like I said. Let's make friends out there. But let's not forget our jobs. Arcadia is counting on us." He threw his gaze around the crowd. "Any other questions?"

There were none, giving Lobo time to bark orders for Cross to finish up in the kitchen and start moving his team through the Gate. As the crowd dispersed, Savage hovered over his shoulder while Skip happily carried the supplies into the kitchen under Cross' instruction.

"That was a dangerous move, boss," rumbled Savage. "I saw some guys don't like to think of the Beasts as allies. They're everything that they don't want to become. They're the enemy. Becoming friends with them..."

"I know," answered Lobo. "But that's the direction we're heading. Gantry, Ruin and Anodyne will have to deal with it."

Savage scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I don't think Anodyne is against you. He's logical and he was just arguing against such rapid changes. Ruin... well, he's always been a pessimist. But Gantry... He..."

"He doesn't like the fact that 'his Hornton' is changing," agreed Lobo. "I know. I saw it."

"In all fairness boss, how'd you feel if Finn turned your Bucking Cove into a place of sunshine, rainbows and love hearts?"

Lobo grinned and nudged Savage with his elbow. "Pretty damn pissed but if it helps us survive and we're not constantly risking our lives out there, fighting Beasts inside of us, then I'd put on a fucking tutu if that's what it turned into." He gave Savage a curious stare. "And how'd you react if the Badlands became filled with hippies and guys holding up signs for 'Free hugs'?"

"I'd die," Savage said grimly. He paused a second before grinning broadly. "Of laughter. I'd find it fucking hilarious. Can you imagine? All those dumb rev heads with long hair and flowery clothing? I'd never stop laughing."

That was a hilarious idea and Lobo cracked a smile. "Yeah... I suppose it is."

******

349:10:23:14:04:38

The Builders were truly an industrious race. Hard workers by nature, Savage had watched in utter fascination as for the past few hours since he had returned, they had finished building their pool and completed the soccer field and the stands. Finn had given them instructions on how the play the game but the concept of 'fun' outside of the context of sex was still alien to them. They tumbled over one another constantly but they were at least sharing laughs while they were at it.

Skip had gotten into the mood of improving the Builder society but in a more... aggressive stance. Using some oil from the garage, Skip had guided the Builders into creating oil traps on the wall that could be set alight as they poured the fuel onto those beneath them. He had also added flaming arrows and bows - soon to be improved into crossbows apparently - into the Builders' arsenal. His crowning achievement, however, was to be his 'Ultra-Mega-Super-Incendiary-Sphere-Launcher' which was basically a big ass cannon mounted on top of a tower at the centre of the settlement capable of hurling flaming balls of cloth over the wall. It was still under construction but Skip insisted it was going to be 'super-awesome'.

The young Collector may seem airheaded and juvenile at times but there was always something... off about him. No one could be that happy and go lucky all the time. Skip also had this tendency to be at the right place at the right time. Savage had brought this to Lobo's attention many times before but he had been waved off. One of the reasons Savage had Skip fall under his command was so that he could keep an eye on the guy.

But he pushed those thoughts out of his mind for the moment as he watched Lobo and his team hurry out of the settlement to make it to the Return Gate with their supplies. Arcadia would be well fed this night. He braced himself as Gantry and his team would be next to come through and knowing how... negatively Gantry took to the changes to his world, he was anticipating some fireworks... or at least thinly veiled disgust angled at Finn.

He was sure he needed to protect Finn from all dangers. The new guy was all that Lobo had accused him of; reckless, inconsiderate and stubborn. But the changes he brought... it made things so much better. Some change in the future was bound to turn out poorly but he was sure that he'd be there to protect Finn.

"He's going to save us," he murmured to himself softly. "Whether it's from others or ourselves... I just know he's going to save us." And he already had proof of that with Lobo's rescue.

Speaking of Finn, he caught sight of the rhino once again dressed in his unique black and denim clothes striding towards him. Savage was perched on the river facing wall, looking down at the settlement, just watching the Builders do their thing.

"Hey Savage."

"Hey."

Finn stood a little awkwardly beside him even going so far as to fidget a little. "Hey... listen... Have you... uh... Did you ever get the feeling that someone... erm... ah... Well... When two guys are really close to one another and... erm..."

Savage gave Finn an exasperated look. "So who wants to fuck you?"

The young Collector jerked back in horror. "Ah! Well... erm..." He sat down abruptly beside Savage, speaking in a whisper. "I'm pretty sure it's Kevin. I felt that he cared for me in his words but as the day went on... I sort of... _smelled_it on him."

Savage rolled his eyes, smiling faintly. "Two things, kiddo," he said, holding up two fingers. "Know your scent in comparison to theirs. Sometimes, it's you that wants to do them and you start excreting those pheromones. It mixes with their scent, gets into your head and suddenly, you're convincing yourself they want to fuck." He levelled his gaze at Finn. "Is that what it is?"

"No!" Finn shook his head furiously. "I've got a steady! Marv... I mean, Rush..."

The thought of a 'steady' made Savage laugh. It was such an Arcadian way of thinking. Only those humans believed in such a thing as monogamy or a committed relationship. On some levels, Savage understood it but he had never found his 'mate' when he was human and as a Collector, he fucked so many times that he didn't care if he ever found 'the one'. He would rather have 'the many' instead.

"Renegade, how many of the Collectors do you think have a steady?"

Finn looked a little lost in thought. "Um... I don't know..."

"That's because they don't have one. Except maybe the Twins but they just go at each other." He held up his hand and gave it a faint wave. "You leave your human concepts behind when you become a Collector, kiddo. Remember, you've got to suck off someone to maintain your shape or if you need to swap roles from an infiltrator to an attack or vice versa, you got to need someone's seed in you some way. Stepping through a Gate as a human is also dangerous, remember? You're more susceptible to the Haze."

"Then why did Gantry lead us through the Gate when we were in human form?"

"Trial by fire," laughed Savage. "We all went through it. If you can't make it through your first human transformation with all your marbles, you're not cut out to be a Collector. Why do you think you only officially_became one _after your adventures?" Savage snickered. "Ah, I remember my first time. Man, that was crazy." He let out a distant, reminiscent sigh lost in the thought for a moment. He let some his cock get slightly aroused but just left it at that. "So I'm guessing you're conflicted about sleeping with this Builder while you've got Rush waiting for you back home, right?"

Finn looked at his big hands absently. "Well... yeah."

"Do you want him? This guy I mean."

"I don't know..." Finn admitted. "This isn't out of necessity, you know. I mean, I'm sure Marv..."

"Rush," corrected Savage though he found it a little hypocritical that he kept thinking of 'Renegade' as 'Finn'.

"Right. If I slept with this guy to keep my rhino shape, I'm sure Rush would understand. But if I did it because I wanted to..."

There, Savage laughed softly and pointed accusingly at Finn. "See, that right there tells me that you want to go through with it. If you didn't, there'd be no contest. You wouldn't do it. But that you're worried about what Rush would think means that you're conflicted."

Finn sighed in resignation. "He's really nice... and really hot. He's cute too. Has plenty of big ideas just like me and he's making changes to his people. I never felt so... kindred to someone before."

It was clear who Finn was talking about but Savage decided to indulge him in the anonymity of this 'mysterious' Builder for the moment. "Look Renegade, no one will judge you. Hell, look around you. Builders used to have sex every three hours on the dot. I never stayed long enough to watch them sleep but I'm fairly damn sure they sleep-fucked each other. It's like clockwork. But now, they've got other things occupying their minds and I'm willing to bet that their balls are so blue and so filled with cum right now that if you so much as poke one, they'll explode like a rhino-shaped water balloon. I bet Marv already had his fair share of tail somewhere around here."

"You... You do?" stammered Finn. "Would Marv really...?"

"Hey, we're all guys trapped in the same place for years. You _really_think Marv hasn't whored himself out a couple of times just to get his rocks off?" Savage gave him an encouraging smile. "So take a leaf out of your own book, Renegade. Live a little. You won't get to fuck another Builder for nine weeks. Go get that ass. Or dick. Whichever you prefer."

Finn offered Savage a shaky smile. He got up slowly, looking a little more confident in his stance. "Thanks Savage. I appreciate it." He began to turn but paused. He glanced back towards Savage with a smile. "Have you ever considered a threeway?"

"Been there, kiddo. In case you're wondering, Lobo is a _definite_top."

"Ah. Okay. Is that why you keep your Key...?"

"Yep."

******

349:10:23:14:50:01

Different little cliques began forming within the settlement and Finn was pleased to note how a Builder generally fit into one or more of them. From the various combinations, personalities were starting to shine through. It would give way to arguments and conflicts but Finn new that was all part of being human. From where he stood, this settlement looked almost like Arcadia but with rhino-men.

With the afternoon rolling around and everyone just having finished lunch, the Builders were slowing down a little. As Kevin had said, many of them had worked through the night to fortify themselves against another potential Hammerhorn attack and kept building throughout the day. They ate their meals but they were all starting to show signs of exhaustion.

From a distance, Finn watched several Builders just soaking in the pool, resting absently against the sides and leaning their heads back against the sides. A few others where just idly chatting amongst themselves in the shade. Those that were not too subtle about their intentions took their partners into the various housing that had been built around them for whatever they planned.

"There you are!"

Finn's heart seized up in his chest as Kevin came bounding over to him. The big rhino was all sweaty and something in Finn's gut twisted at the sight of the Builder's bare chest. Apparently, he had discarded his shirt and work vest for some reason.

"Where are most of your clothes?" he asked.

Kevin hiked his thumb over his shoulder. "Well, you know how there are all these sports magazines in the grocery store? Well, while you were gone, I noticed one about soccer and I wondered what other sports there were. I found this game called 'shirts and skins'. We built a basketball net in the rear parking lot and threw the ball around." Kevin shrugged with a slight frown on his face. "It's a very strange game. How do people score points? And why must we constantly drool on the ball?"

It took Finn a moment to keep himself from bursting out in laughter. "You mean dribble?"

"Yes. The magazine said we have to keep dribbling on the ball or we'd be 'travelling'. I don't see what that's so bad though..."

"Actually..." Finn stopped himself from correcting Kevin. There was a degree of innocence in his eyes and he had this look in his eyes like he was looking for Finn's approval. It was adorable and the fact that those eyes were attached to a big, muscly rhino just made Finn want to hug him all the tighter and feel every muscle along that bulging frame. "You should go around with your shirt off more often. You look good."

"Thanks!" Kevin exclaimed brightly. He leaned against the wall next to Finn, crossing his arms behind his head. With his sweaty armpits exposed, Finn caught his scent. It had changed so drastically in the past few days. The base of every Builder was still there; musky smell with a strong smell of gravel and dust. But amongst it all was the overwhelming scent of peppers and a hint of sweetness. Subdued beneath the myriad of smells was that same commanding, alpha male scent that Kevin seemed to have developed. It grew stronger whenever he was ordering other Builders around and Finn guessed it was very strong when he was playing a game.

"And thank you for everything you've done, by the way," Kevin said. "I know it can't be easy. I spoke with your friend, Lobo, and he told me that your actions caused a bit of a stir back where you're from."

"You spoke with Lobo?"

Kevin nodded slowly and lowered his arms. "I did. Some people on your side didn't like that you made peace with us and revealed your secret. It's apparently against tradition. He said something about how every time anyone ever broke from the mould, it messed things up. A lot."

Finn did recall all those stories from Josh about when someone changed the paradigm of Arcadia. When a Collector tried to interact with the Cultivators and Constructors on a personal level, he had transformed the poor victim into a full Beast and nearly brought the survivors into near extinction. A mass exodus to try and escape Arcadia's confines had led to Arcadia having to start all over again as barely anyone was left.

Was this going to be one of those events? Had he just led Arcadia on the path to near-extinction again?

"You don't think this is a mistake, do you?" Kevin prompted.

Finn couldn't be sure. It was too soon to tell. "No. I mean, come on. After all that's happened here, you really think this is a bad thing?"

Kevin began rubbing his horn absently again. "I'm still scared that without your constant influence, we're going to slip back to being those Builders again." He sighed and leaned his head against the wall. "You're right. I don't want to go back to being that kind of guy again. I don't want anyone to be like that again. I mean, look at what this place has become!" He gestured at the settlement and the variety of activities that had been set up all around them. "When I look back at how things were..." Kevin shook his head sadly. "I can't ever imagine we considered ourselves 'happy' just being like that..."

Back in Arcadia, Finn like to think Ken and Travis would've said the same things after the soccer tournament and stage were introduced. Finn was reminded of his responsibilities in Arcadia and told himself that he'd start making changes back there again.

"You know I have to go back," Finn said sadly. "I've got my own people to help..."

"I know," Kevin murmured sadly.

There was something else to his sadness that Finn had been aware of for a long while now. There was true and fond affection in his voice and in the way he looked at Finn. It wasn't that the feeling wasn't mutual. Finn admired Kevin for the leaps and bounds he had taken and the initiative that he constantly showed. That he looked sexy as hell added to the package. Sadly, Finn still had his loyalty to Marv...

But if Savage said it was okay... Maybe this once, he could give in to his base urges and stop trying to cling to some archaic thoughts of how couples should be.

He glanced up at the sky and caught sight of SOL hovering in front of the sun as it always did.

This was not the world that he only vaguely remembered. He doubted it ever would be the same. Whatever the Conglomerate tried if they even still truly existed, it would never bring back the old world. What the new world would become, though, was up to them to decide.

And Finn thought he deserved at least a little indulgence after all he had done.

When he spotted Gantry and his team passing through the gates, he thought he had his answer. When Gantry caught sight of him and shot a foul look his way, he knew he had his answer.

"I'll have to head back in about an hour or two," he stated.

"So soon?" Kevin replied. He was trying to fight the frown on his face and pushed off the wall. "Well, how about a game of shirts and skins before you head out? Everyone is exhausted and I think you of all people need a break."

"Actually..." Finn gently intertwined his fingers with Kevin's, making the Builder blush. "I'd like to do something else with you. Privately."

Kevin's eyes widened. "Oh... Okay!"

******

349:10:23:18:10:01

Leaving Hornton with the knowledge that he wouldn't be able to see it again for another nine weeks was like leaving a part of himself behind. Marv had to admit that his adventures in Hornton had both thrilled and excited him. Being a Cultivator seemed so much more boring in comparison and he simply could not wait to see what lay beyond the next Gate or what changes his next transformation would bring to his human form.

Most of all, he couldn't wait to have Finn back in his arms. It was torture having had to be parted from his boyfriend but it was just part of the team dynamics. Savage was a level-headed leader, Finn was the radical thinker and from what he heard, Skip provided energy and support. It was the same thing with his team. Crash was somewhat grim, sombre and the most level-headed of the group while Cross was more inventive and social. Marv liked to think he was the one that brought the energy to the group.

All day he had craved for Finn's company but he had to be professional about his relationship, after all. When he went past that Gate, he was a Collector. Though the way the Builders worked and lived had completely changed, he still fought to keep his mind solely rooted in his home; Arcadia. Every time he moved his enormous muscles either to help build something to stack the supplies the Builders generously offered them, the little canister containing his first pumpkin seeds rattled around his neck. It always reminded him of his human roots and made sure he didn't slip into casting his lot with the Builders.

Though he had to admit, the fact that the Builders were acting more... _human_helped matters. He really was proud of Finn.

And to express his pride...

The door sprang open and Finn lumbered in dressed in that sexy black shirt and denim jacket. Marv had long discarded his clothes so there was nothing hiding Finn's view of his hardening cock as he lay on their shared bed covered in rose petals and the hut illuminated by dozens of candles.

"What's all this?" Finn asked, surprised but still with a smile growing on his lips.

Marv grinned. He was completely naked. The candlelight gently caressing is tawny, leathery hide which was lathered with beautifully scented oils. "Ya know most of the stuff in that grocery store of theirs they dun even know how ta use? There were all these bath soaps, massage oils an' sponges that they had never touched. I tried ta tell 'em what they were but it's like they dun know what a luxurious bath was!"

"And you do?"

"Of course!" Marv ran a hand down his well-oiled thighs, every muscle perfectly accentuated. "Ya gotta pounce on that shit when Collectors brought 'em, ya know! Private bath in the lake with some scented oils by the moonlight. Man, it was awesome."

Finn removed his jacket and tossed it to the ground. "Something tells me you have no intention of bathing though."

Marv grinned from ear to ear and patted the petal-covered bed beside him. He could smell the arousal in Finn's scent and judging by how the bulge in his tight denim pants were getting, he wasn't just imagining it. But there was still some hesitation in Finn's movements as he approached the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress; as far as possible from Marv but still on the bed.

"Is sumethin' wrong?" Marv asked, slowly propping himself up on his arms. He ignored the rapidly growing boner he was sporting.

"Just... Gantry told us that we'd change back into humans about twelve hours after we change or get some cum in us..."

Marv smirked. "What? You're worried that you'd have to change into whatever lies on the other side of tomorrow's Gate or something?"

"It's not that," Finn answered, shaking his head. "You and I fucked each other last night after we became full Collectors. It's almost been twenty-four hours since then. So ..."

Realising what Finn was edging towards, Marv sat up completely but kept a respectable distance between himself and his boyfriend. "Erm... Yeah. I admit that I gave Cross a blowjob this afternoon to keep my form. I... I know that makes it a lil' weird but... It's our jobs right? We've gotta keep up our forms or we'd be puttin' ourselves in danger." He looked to Finn for confirmation. "Right?"

"Yeah... Yeah we do," answered Finn with a shaky nod.

Marv reached over and gently gripped Finn's hand tightly. "I know ya had ta get someone off ta remain a rhino, Finn. Hell, I ain't gunna dump ya 'cuz ya had someone fuck ya. So long as it means nuthin', then I'm cool with it. I dun care what shape ya take or what ya do to keep yer shape. 'Cuz deep down, I know yer mah Finn."

Finn broke into a smile and he slid across the bed, leaning his head against Marv's shoulder, careful not to let his horn jab his boyfriend. "Thanks Marv. I had... I had my doubts. You've got to admit, if we were in the old world, this kind of thing would be considered very liberal."

"If we were in the old world, we'd be considered freaks and prolly dissected 'cuz we're rhino-men."

Finn chuckled softly and nuzzled Marv's neck gently. "Hmmm... you smell good."

Marv reached towards the side of the bed where he had a bottle of the scented massage oil resting. "Coconut, almond and honey scented." He jiggled the large bottle a little. "Want me to rub some on ya?"

His boyfriend grinned. "I'd love that."

Finn made to reach for the rims of his shirt but Marv stopped him, much to the former's confusion. "Nuh-uh. I wanna savour this."

Finn kept that confused expression on his face as Marv gently squirted some of the massage oil onto his palms. He rubbed those massive appendages together, making sure every inch of his hands were covered. Then he began gently slipping and sliding his oily hands over each of Finn's fingers.

The sensation was a little odd but at the same time so relaxing. Having Marv's strong hands focus entirely on his thumb turned the digit into jelly. It was a stark contrast to the rest of his body which was so tense. The excess 'relaxation' poured up from his thumb, through his hand and up his forearm. His large muscles lost their tension. Marv's magic massage moved from finger to finger, working their soothing touch down to his bone. By the time Marv began rubbing his palms with his thumbs he was about ready to collapse backwards and let his rhino boyfriend do whatever he wanted to do with him.

But Marv would have none of it and slyly moved in behind him. Finn still leaned back against the big rhino's hairy chest and shut his eyes, letting himself get lost in Marv's scent mixed with the heavenly aroma of the massage oil. Marv's hands moved up and down his forearm, tracing the sharp cuts of muscle through it and working on the big bulges to soften them up. There were occasional burst of pain when Marv hit a bunch of muscles that were hard with tension but that soon ebbed as Marv worked them into submission.

Marv moved his attention up Finn's bicep. Purely on instinct, Finn lifted his arm and flexed the big, watermelon sized muscles. A soft appreciative rumble rose up from behind him. Marv's hands ran over his biceps, not so much working them to relaxation as they were just spreading the sweet-smelling oil all over his arm. When Finn's shirt started getting in the way, Marv leaned forward and gently nibbled at the edges of Finn's short sleeves. His tongue expertly snagged the edge of Finn's sleeve, guiding it towards his lips where he bit down on it gently. Marv tugged at the cloth, playfully pulling it over Finn's large deltoids so that his hands could smear them with oil.

Finn sighed with contentment. He opened his eyes and dropped his arm. He began rolling up his shirt as Marv picked up the bottle of massage oil and collected more in his hands. Finn tossed the article of clothing to the ground and instantly felt Marv's hands against his abdomen. He hissed softly as the oil felt cold to the touch. But as Marv worked the fluids into his abs, running his fingers over the chiselled, hard muscle, the discomfort vanished. Marv's thick fingers eased every drop of oil into Finn's abs, each little push easing Finn back against his hairy chest. Those magical hands began to move up towards Finn's chest, massaging the large pectorals there.

The sensation of the light dusting of blond hairs being tugged made Finn grimace. That prompted Marv to reach over and get more oil. Finn slowly repositioned himself with his back on the bed, crossing his arms behind his head. Marv smiled at him and held the bottle over his chest. The drizzle of the cold liquid on his chest was again a bit of a shock. But Marv's warm hands were there a moment later, rubbing the scented liquid all over his chest and bringing soothing heat through to his tense muscles.

Finn couldn't help but groan when Marv's hands brushed against his nipples, prompting them to quickly harden. The massage was becoming a little more sensual as Marv's fingers toyed with the erect nubs of flesh. Finn was gave his boyfriend an encouraging smile. With one hand still massaging Finn's pectorals, Marv guided the other to rub oil all over Finn's other arm. The tension built up from the day began to ebb and Finn finally began to relax. He closed his eyes and let out a content sigh. His lips were suddenly full of Marv's tongue and he snapped his eyes open once more. His surprised grunt turned into a lusty moan. He made to navigate his arm behind Marv's but his boyfriend's hand against his arm suddenly grew firm and kept him pinned down.

Finn let out a confused noise and Marv broke the kiss.

"You just relax, big boy," the hairy rhino said with a somewhat puckish grin. "I'll take care of you."

"Oh... Okay..."

Finn suddenly felt very tense again. Marv kept a strong hand down on his wrist, keeping him pinned somewhat but at the same time, a sensual pleasure was emanating from Finn's chest as his boyfriend gently massages the pectorals there. Groans left Finn's lips every time Marv's fingers gently brushed against his nipples. He never knew they were such sensitive point. Apprehension faded in place of comfort from his upper body but a rising tightness in his pants. His hips began bucking in tandem with the steady kneading from Marv; slow, sensual.

Their lips one more time. There was no bestial lust; tongues curled and lapped over one another gently, a single breath shared in a moment of tender affection. Marv pulled away, finally releasing Finn's wrist. His eyes were filled with fondness and that demonic spark of mischief was gone. He buried his nose in the valley that was made from the plateau of Finn's pectorals. His tongue slid between the hard mounds, adding his drool to the glistening oil. Finn quivered in delight.

Marv expertly guided his lips towards Finn's right nipple. He exhaled upon in. Finn instantly reacted by shivering both in anticipation and delight. When Marv's lips closed around it, it was like having a warm vice wrap around the fleshy nub geared just to stimulate the point. A gentle sucking motion accompanied by an expertly guided tongue brought waves upon waves of rising arousal from Finn. When Marv's other hand seized his remaining nipple, Finn let out a soft, almost feminine whine.

Marv lay perfectly on top of him. Though they both had to be well over three hundred pounds in weight, they were perfectly suited to be held in one another's embrace. Finn could feel Marv's massive eighteen inch cock slobbering pre all over his abs, mixing in with the sweet scented oils. The mix of scents was intoxicating, the perfect blend of salty and savoury. Both men shivered as the aroma circled them. The musk of lust began to rise and Finn let out another whine. His cock was unbearably hard and just about ready to burst out of his jeans.

Sensing his boyfriend's need, Marv reached down and began unbuckling Finn's belt. Beneath him, Finn squirmed and wiggled out of the pair of pants. He let out a relieved sigh when his dick was finally allowed to stand free and erect. Finn groaned when Marv moved his hands to massage the eighteen inch prick, his thumbs gently encouraging the blood to pump all along the length. Finn was in heaven for all of ten seconds as Marv quickly placed his hands on Finn's right thigh and began massaging the muscle there.

"That's not -" Whatever protests he had were quickly drowned in a sea of relaxation. He became conflicted as Marv's fingers encouraged blood flow into his thighs which could only come from his throbbing cock. He groaned and reached down towards his member.

Suddenly, an enormous weight fell on his chest and a thing, tufted tail smacked his nostrils. He found himself staring at Marv's perfectly shaped ass cheeks. It took him a moment to realise that this was far from an erotic act. Marv was literally cock blocking him!

"Nooooooo..." he moaned, desperately trying to reach around the big, hairy rhino. He found a big, lengthy, meaty cock but it wasn't his own and from the way that Marv's tail was swishing, his boyfriend approved. All he could do was lie there as Marv rubbed his legs with the oil, taking his arousal and turning it to frustration.

He couldn't complain too long, however. When Marv moved towards his calves, he grimaced as a sharp pain erupted from the heart-shaped muscles bulging beneath his skin.

"Hmmm... been usin' yer calves a lot today, babe?" Marv asked, gently bending Finn's leg and massaging the muscles. There was a lot of tension in the muscle and it was like trying to melt hard iron cords. But the pain began to subside and Finn let out a sigh of contentment. His frustration began to ebb and he began to actually feel a little sleepy.

Then Marv moved to his other calf and he was wide awake with pain again.

"Easy, easy..." Marv cooed softly. "Almost there."

Finn endured another five minutes of having his tense muscles eased and told himself to constantly breathe through the sharp pain like nails being jabbed into the back of his leg. He hadn't thought he used his calves that much throughout the day but he guessed he was just so sore all over that he hadn't noticed.

Then Marv moved towards his feet and Finn simply melted.

"Ooooooh..." he groaned. "That feels soooooo... nice..."

A few bones crackled as Marv's hands moved across the natural curve of Finn's big feet. All the tension that had built just seemed to pour out of his toes, leaving his body almost liquid in its relaxation. Finn's eyes began to grow heavy and he felt content not having orgasmed.

A strange sucking motion suddenly wrapped around his big toe and his eyes snapped open. Marv's long tongue slipped between his toes, gently kissing the oil-infused flesh and adding a different sense of sensuality to the massage. At first, it was a little odd but the slobbery kisses mixed with the thumbs kneading the inlet of his foot worked wonders. Finn never considered himself a foot-man - he never even thought about it - but as Marv continued the exercise, Finn found himself growing in arousal once more.

Ever little tug on his toes send tingles down his leg and to his cock. He imagined Marv's lips around his member, tantalisingly tugging and sucking on the thick, black rhino head and coaxing more pre from him. The bit of frustration of being unable to do something about his hard cock was tempered by the faint, tantalising tongue play Marv so expertly employed. He groaned as Marv curled his tongue around his big toe and he could almost feel that wet length curling around the girth of his cock. It made him want to blow his load there and then but knowing that he couldn't somehow sent a sense of excitement through his veins. He bucked his hips, his cock brushing up against Marv's pectorals. His pre rubbed into Marv's oil-slicked chest fur, adding to the tingling sensation and the need to erupt.

A faint chuckle rippled out of Marv as he gently pressed a finger against the edge of Finn's cock. That little touch was electric and a bucket full of precum squirted out of the edge. The clear fluids splattered all over Marv's shoulder, making the rhino laugh softly. "Someone needs a back rub."

"Noooo..." Finn moaned. "I need to cum...."

"You're getting a back rub," Marv said. He rolled off Finn and quickly seized Finn's sides. Marv was always stronger than Finn and it was relatively easy for him to flip Finn onto his stomach.

There was some relief for Finn as his cock was compressed against the mattress and his abdominals. Before he could start humping the sheets wildly, Marv's hands pressed against his back. Their familiar warmth radiated calm and serenity through his body. He was loathed to have his erection ebb but at the same time, as Marv's oily hands went to work on his back, any frustration followed the gentle undulations of the massage. The tension in his back was until he felt like his every mountain of muscle on his back had turned into a mound of gelatine; it fold lightly around Marv's hands but the moment pressure was taken off, it's spring back into the strong shapes that made up his back. He moaned softly in response of Marv's thumbs running down his spine.

For a moment, Marv had to reach back for more and, desperate not to let his erection fade completely, Finn lifted his rear into the air and seized his cock. Finally having his hand around his member, he had no intention of letting go of it. Thankfully, Marv didn't intend for that and just continued to rub the oil all over his back, slowly working it into every crevasse and curve.

Finn found himself getting closer to the edge but Marv's massage kept pulling him back. It was a sort of blissful torture and flitting between that paradise between euphoric release and utter relaxation was heaven. When he came too close, he would slow the pace in which his rubbed his pole. If Marv's massages started to sap the arousal from him, he'd just beat off faster until his cock was pouring with precum again.

He barely registered Marv's hands slowly navigating their way down the planes of his traps and only spending a short amount of time kneading his lower back. An approving hum rippled from his throat when Marv's hands rested around his firm rump, rubbing the oil all over the firm orbs.

Alarm erupted from the back of his mind and his cock squirted in glee when Marv's oily fingers danced in between his ass cheeks. He braced himself for more teasing, purposefully holding back his fapping since he knew the next few moments would be utter bliss. Marv's finger circled his ass ring teasingly, all oiled up and slick. Finn didn't realise he was breathing so rapidly until he found himself a little light headed. He took a deep breath and Marv took that as an invitation. One big, thick finger pushed into Finn's ass, causing the bottoming rhino to let out a cry of pure ecstasy. His cry became a long, lust 'Oooo' as Marv pulled the finger out slowly. Then the intrusive appendage came sliding back inside of him and Finn sucked in a lungful of air through his teeth.

The sheer amount of pleasure wracking his body became too much and his entire body went mostly limp. Though his ass remained raised and available for Marv to finger-fuck, his hand fell slack beside his rigid cock. Without needing any manual stimulation at all, Finn's cock kept on gushing sticky clear fluids. Marv pushed a second finger into his ass and he threw his head back, eyes staring at the ceiling but not truly seeing.

He let out a long, lusty moan, his entire body quivering for release. As those two fingers pushed back into him, he imagined something thicker, bigger and squiring seminal fluids penetrating him, merging them in a union that went beyond just sex. His entire body became taken up by that image and he began grinding his hips back into Marv's fingers, squeezing his ass down and imagining the warmth and lubrication came from a pulsating member squiring precum.

Marv pulled his fingers completely out of Finn and he was left feeling empty. But then the object of his desires pressed its big, thick, black head up against his loosened ass. The squirt of precum confirmed what was going to happen next. Finn couldn't help but grin like a kid in a candy store. He pushed off the bed and as he straightened, speared himself on Marv's cock. Both rhinos gasped as they were finally one again. Finn had to slow his ascent as even his hold had to get used to Marv's thick cock again. Every inch, every pulse and every warm spray of precum felt right and the last parts of tension that haunted Finn finalled faded away.

He found Marv's tight embrace around his chest. His back pressed up against Marv's rippling chest. Some magnetic force twisted his head around, compelling him to lash his tongue out invitingly. Marv's lips closed around his tongue and crossed the gap between them. Passion flowered between them. Before all pretences were thrown out the window, Finn groped for the oil bottle and seized it from where it lay. Marv opened his eyes to watch Finn lift the bottle above their heads and squeeze down.

The sweet smelling lubricant rained down on them in thick, golden blobs. Marv dove back in for another kiss, preventing either of them from swallowing the oil. His hands, however, eagerly spread the golden slime all over their bodies. Every time he thrust his hips, his hands ferociously smeared the oil all over Finn's chiselled chest. When he heard the soft puffs of the bottle being empty, Finn discarded the canister and threw himself entirely into Marv's passionate lovemaking.

His cock throbbed and ached with need and it was only his desire not to orgasm to soon that kept him from blowing his load there and then. Loud moans rose up from his throat matched only by Marv's heavy grunts as he thrust himself deeper and harder into Finn. Both of their bodies quaked with pleasure, momentarily calmed by their hands rubbing the oil all over one another. Finn shifted from rubbing the oil onto Marv's legs and as far as he could reach for his rump. Marv was limited to rubbing every drizzle all over Finn's glorious pectorals, his chiselled abdominals and finally to his throbbing cock. Loud wet slaps filled the hut not only from Marv's cock slamming into Finn but also from Finn wildly humping Marv's hands.

Their moans grew more and more desperate for release and in one magnificent thrust, Marv erupted into Finn. Marv pulled his lips away from Finn, letting out a long groan that lasted for an entire minute. His eyelids fluttered as he poured gallon after gallon of Collector cum into Finn's ass. Finn likewise let go of his restraints and let out a loud cry. His cum shot straight forward and slammed into the headboard of their bed. The more Marv sprayed into him, the more he shot. He could feel the warmth transferring from his boyfriend, through his entire body and washing out in pure, white seed out of his cock. He was being cleansed even if it was only symbolically.

Finn couldn't take Marv's second load. No one could. Not even the most experienced Collector. Marv was forced to pull out of him as his cock coated his ass in hot seed. Finn still felt incredibly full and kept his ass clenched to keep as much of Marv's seed in him. But every blast from his own cock left him feeling weaker and weaker. His cry devolved into a groan which eventually turned into a sigh of weariness.

He collapsed onto the cum-soaked bed, the smell of his seed and their lovemaking overpowering the sweetness of the oil. But this way, it felt so much more natural and in his opinion, smelled much better. Marv flopped onto the bed with a loud, wet slap behind him. One big, hairy arm lay across Finn's chest, idly groping his muscles. A smile touched Finn's lips as Marv instantly began snoring even as his cock continued to spasm and empty him of his seed.

Finn shuddered as his own member let out another blast, pushing him deeper and deeper into the land of slumber.

He managed to close his eyes before the overwhelming guilt broke through the euphoria of afterglow.

Sadly, his cock let out one last blast of cum, knocking him into dreamland.

And with it, he took the remorse and his lie...

******

349:10:24:07:11:44

"Renegade! Rush! Wake up!"

Finn's eyes snapped open and he immediately sat up. His heart was pumping hard in his chest and he was drenched in sweat. He barely remembered falling asleep. The glorious moment of his and Marv's union was still fresh in his memory like it had just happened a few moments ago. Everything mostly remained the same down to the cum-coated sheets. The sun was up however and the incessant knocking was definitely a change.

"Guys! Open up!"

"Skip...?" grunted Finn, rubbing his eyes. Marv grunted behind him and buried his head beneath his pillow with a disgruntled grumble. Looking at his rhino form reminded Finn of his own body and that guilt came back.

With the need to put his mind on other matters, Finn got up and stumbled towards the door. He pulled it open, wincing at the bright sunlight that poured in. Skip, back in human for stared at him in wide-eyed horror. All Finn's sleepiness and guilt vanished, replaced with fear.

"What's the matter?"

"The Gate! It's open!" Skip exclaimed so fast that it almost sounded like he managed to mash all the words into a single syllable.

"Erm... right... The next Gate... is to Camp Draco, right? Dragons?" The thought of leaving behind Hornton for nine weeks eased Finn's heart somewhat.

"That's just it!" exclaimed Skip with increasing panic. "Both Gates are open! The Hornton Gate is _still_open!"

Finn flinched and his heart sank all the way to his belly, forming a big pit that just seemed to grow and grow. All warmth was pulled into the black hole in his gut, leaving his limbs numb and cold.

"Come on!" Skip shouted, beckoning form them to follow. "Everyone's gathered at the Gates."

Without even thinking about cleaning himself up, Finn hurried back into the room and pulled Marv off the bed. His boyfriend had heard the entire exchange and slapped himself awake. Skip was going from door to door, telling the Collectors the news and the camp was quickly waking. There were a few loud shouts of surprise and more annoyed grunts but Skip was fairly insistent. Once the news sank in, the other Collectors roused from their sleep and hurried towards the Gate.

Finn reached the grove of the Gates where Savage stood in front of the two open Gates which were conveniently sitting side by side. He and Marv stopped a few steps behind the big Collector who looked completely frightened. As Skip had warned, the two Gates remained open... one to Hornton and the other into Camp Draco. With the other Collectors quickly arriving, a hushed awe fell on the grove of Gates.

Everyone was just perfectly still.

"Has anyone gone through yet?" Lobo asked, taking centre stage and standing in front of everyone else.

"Didn't think that'd be just a smart idea," grunted Savage. "It could Hornton on that side or something else. I dunno." He nodded towards the Hornton Gate and then the other Gate in turn. "We were on the first shift but when I saw this..."

"Smart move," Lobo rumbled. Their leader turned around to face the rest of the Collectors. "Did anyone notice anything strange on their last run in Hornton? Or in Camp Draco? Anything at all?"

A loud bellow suddenly erupted from the back of the group. "This is his_fault!" Gantry suddenly ploughed through the rest of the Collectors and jabbed a finger accusingly at Finn. "I did notice something strange! He messed up the order in Hornton! Now _this happens! We should've just kept things as they were!"

"What!?" Finn exclaimed, taken aback by the accusation.

"If you has just left the Builders to the Wreckers like I told you to, none of this would've happened! I bet they've tampered with the Gate or something! Now they're going to invade Arcadia and it's all your fault!"

"That's not fair!" Marv shouted, storming forward. "How the hell could Finn having done the right thing have led to this!?"

Gantry's eyes flared in anger. "Everything was fine until, Renegade started changing things! We spent a week past a Gate, we got what we could and we got out! We had a system and it worked. We survived!"

A few of the other Collectors were nodding in agreement, murmuring to themselves. Even Savage, who had been such a supporter of Finn, was shifting his foot from side to side nervously. Finn had his own doubts. He wondered if what he had done to uplift the Builders truly had triggered these events. Or perhaps it was that mail he had read in the NexPharm facility... Maybe after he had read it, it had actually sent itself to the Director and now...

"We survived but as what?"

The normally light and energetic voice was oddly filled with gravity and almost a growl. Skip stepped forward, placing himself in front of Gantry. As a human, he was only about 5'9'' which left Gantry to dwarf him in his rhino form. But Skip still stared defiantly at his elder.

"What did you say?" growled Gantry.

"We fell into routine!" Skip shouted, turning around and spreading his arms wide. "We were just like the Builders, man! We just did what we did every day. Sure it was a little more complex than stacking blocks on top of one another but really, that's all we were doing!" He cast his gaze over his shoulder at Gantry. "You said it yourself. We spent a week past a gate, got what we could and got out. Every week. It's the same thing over and over and over again. We survived but were we really human? Could we have called ourselves human if we left the Builders to the Wreckers like that?"

Finn found a new appreciation for the slim, energetic young man. Skip's words struck home and the comparison between them and the Builders was frighteningly apt. Though he had only been a Collector for a few days, looking back now, it did seem like a routine with little progress... and he was falling prey to it...

Gantry seized Skip's shoulder and spun him around. "We aren't Beasts! We're _nothing_like the Builders!"

Skip's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then prove it." He shrugged off Gantry's hand and took a few steps back. "The Gate to Hornton is still open, right? Maybe we can use that to our advantage. I mean if we have a steady stream of supplies coming from Hornton, we might even start to make more changes."

"Like what!?" Gantry roared. "You want to start letting Builders into Arcadia!? You want to start fucking around out there!? Build a permanent camp!?"

"I don't know!" Skip exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air.

Lobo suddenly stepped in between them, calmly pushing them away from one another. "Skip has a point but so does Gantry. This can be a good thing. If we make it a good thing." Gantry huffed and stepped away from Lobo. "We've always been focused on surviving but now, we can have some steady trade coming in from Hornton. That means on our runs into the other Gates, we can focus less on stealing things and maybe finding weaknesses and building alliances."

"You want to make friends with the Beasts!?" Gantry exclaimed.

Lobo shot him a withering look. "Allying with the Builders has increased Arcadia's stability more in the past day than three hundred years' worth of Collecting. Imagine what we could do if we got the engines from the Badlands, the raw metal from Blessed Mountain or the technology from and comforts from Pride City or Barkingham. We could make Arcadia more than it is." He reached out and placed a firm hand on Gantry's shoulder. "But we need to do it together. We're Collectors. It's time we collected more than just supplies. It's time we collected friendships and alliances."

Gantry didn't move.

No one did.

Lobo turned his attention away from the Hornton expert and back towards the rest of the crowd. "We'll split our efforts through the two Gates. First two patrols go through the Hornton Gate. Last two go through the Camp Draco Gate. You get to spend a little longer in there but make it count, people."

He eyed Finn in particular. "Don't go stirring up any more trouble. Just observe for now. There's no pressure to grab supplies now that we have Hornton but we've got to make sure we keep our relationships with Hornton stable as well. It's got to be a fair trade, after all. Any questions?"

He was only met with silence.

******

349:10:24:08:31:12

"Finn!"

Kevin came rushing out of the settlement which now had the words 'Newhome' suspended over the gates. The letters were made of the same concrete blocks as the rest of the wall but it was painted a bright red. The Builder leader slowed his excited advance, slowing down to a jog. He flung his arms around Finn and gave him a very big, manly hug. Kevin pulled away a second later and appraised him.

"I thought you weren't meant to be back for nine weeks?"

"That's what we thought too," Finn answered, glancing over his shoulder at Savage and Skip. "For some reason, the Gate to Hornton remained open. The Gate to Camp Draco was open as well. Normally only one Gate is open so..." He shrugged helplessly. "This is all new to us as well."

Clearly trying to keep his excitement in, Kevin stepped aside and gestured towards the settlement. "I'm still glad to have you here. How long will you be staying?"

"Just until midday," Finn responded. "Our schedules have changed. I'll be here until midday then the next team will come in. Tomorrow, I'll be heading into Camp Draco. I get to be a dragon."

Kevin's eyes shone. "That's so cool! Then the next day you'll be back here?"

"Assuming the Gate remains open, yeah," grunted Savage, stepping forward and rolling his shoulders ominously. "So what do you guys need done?"

Kevin rubbed his horn nervously. "Erm... Everyone pretty much has their own little projects... Jerry and some of the other guys are clearing out the _NexPharm_building and seeing if they can find something in there to help us. They found this door leading to what we think is a lab underground but we can't seem to open it..."

"Oooh!" Skip exclaimed waving his hand through the air. "I wanna explore the lab!" No one got a chance to reply as he happily skipped into the settlement, no doubt heading for the NexPharm facility.

"Alright..." Kevin muttered. "Well... erm..."

Savage nodded towards the settlement. "You folks work with wood all the time. You sure you guys know how to use it?"

"Well, I like to say we don't just work with wood." Kevin grinned a little cockily. "I like to say we turn wood into art."

"Really now? You know how to whittle?"

Kevin blinked several times at Savage. "Erm... Do you mean 'whistle'?" He glanced at Finn. "Is that some human version of whistling? I can't do it but some of the guys know how to. They're forming a sort of choir of whistlers."

"You don't know how to whittle," grunted Savage, stepping past the two. "I'll teach you how to whittle."

Finn just grinned back at Kevin as the Builder gave him a puzzled stare. When Savage was gone, however, Kevin's expression grew grim and Finn's grin faded.

"You... didn't tell them, did you?"

Shaking his head sadly, Finn said, "I couldn't."

"Then how'd you hide it? It has to be more than twelve hours now, right?"

Finn rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well... Marv sort of started massaging me last night... one thing led to another... and I ended up with buckets of cum in my ass..." Knowing full well how Kevin felt about him, he quickly apologised. "Sorry. I know... Well... Let's just say it bought me some time."

Kevin sighed and folded his arms. "Maybe it's just something with new Collectors. I mean, maybe you just stick with your form until you step through another Gate. Or maybe everyone's just stuck being rhinos now. I mean, the Gate stayed open. What else could've changed?"

He shook his head grimly. "Sorry. Skip was human when he woke me this morning. Everyone else can still change back into a human." He regarded his hands, big, thick, grey and capped with those same ivory tips. "I don't know what's wrong with me..." He balled his hand into a fist. "I can't help but think that all these changes... they're because of me. The Gates remaining open... me not changing back..."

"Nothing is wrong with you," Kevin said firmly, placing his hand over Finn's fist. "You're perfect just the way you are."

Finn groaned. "That was lame..."

"Give me a break!" Kevin exclaimed, giving him a sheepish grin and a dismissive shrug. "All I really know about romance is from centuries old magazines and tabloids! I don't know how you humans do it." His smile faded slightly. "It's funny, you know. We've been living around a grocery store for years and never once did we realise that any of the books, magazines or even videos were all of humans... I think we even forgot that the guys from NexPharm were humans..."

"The Haze," murmured Finn. "It messes with your head, apparently. You really have to fight to keep your sanity around here." He moved towards Kevin and wrapped his arm around the other male. "Come on, let's go find something else to anchor your sanity on."

Kevin gave him a smile and led the way into Newhome. Not much had changed in comparison to yesterday's dramatic change. Builders were once again playing soccer or lounging in the pool. He saw an orange ball bouncing back and forth against the backboard of the basketball ring. A few of the rhinos looked like they had found an old pickup truck and were working diligently to fix it up. The thought of a clear route to and from the Return Gate via vehicles would make trade much easier.

"Maybe we can set up a settlement around the Return Gate," Finn suggested. "It'd make the route safer and we wouldn't have to worry about Hammerhorn or his grunts."

Kevin clicked his fingers. "Speaking of which..." He beckoned for Finn to follow him and they headed towards the far end of the parking lot, far away from anyone else. There, the Builders had erected a tent from some tarp. Several makeshift beds had been arranged in two dozen lines along the tent and each one was occupied by a rhino. From their muscle structure, they were Wreckers. None of them were restrained but they all looked like they were in agony. All of them had some form of injury that put their body in some sort of cast.

"These guys tried attacking last night," Kevin said. He pointed towards a nearby building that was just slightly taller than their wall. "They tried jumping down from that building past the wall. About half of them missed. Three slammed into the wall. The others made it but the fall was so far that they... well..."

Finn winced as a Wrecker screamed. The guy's leg let out a loud _pop_as the bone reset itself. They were healing... but it looked like a painful process. "Hammerhorn sent them...?"

"We haven't had the chance to ask," answered Kevin forlornly. "We just hurried to make them as comfortable as possible. They're in so much pain that we don't know what to do..."

It broke Finn's heart looking at the Wreckers like that. Anger burned in him at the thought that Hammerhorn had sent these guys on such a foolish mission. He wanted to believe that these Wreckers were just acting on their own but they were acting as a group. 'Wild' Wreckers don't travel in groups larger than three...

"I don't know enough about medicine to help..." Finn admitted. "But maybe someone in Arcadia does."

"Your friend, Anodyne, seemed to know about it. He taught us how to keep ourselves clean to avoid getting sick, what all the medicines in the grocery store were for and how to disinfect wounds." Kevin looked towards the pained Wreckers. "We've been giving them painkillers but it doesn't seem to help. I was hoping you could..."

Finn nodded and began to take a few steps away. "I'll go grab Anodyne. He's on the late shift anyway. Maybe he can help."

Kevin gave him a shout of thanks before he bolted out of Newhome and headed for the Return Gate.

******

349:10:24:09:14:09

The lab doors were sealed perfectly shut. Even three and a half centuries after the apocalypse, they remained shut tight. Power still ran through the doors. The control panel was still alive and awaiting input.

"See?" a Builder said. "This is the door. We can't get through here."

"Yeah, I see it," Skip said, smiling innocently at the panel.

It had been a long trip down to the basements levels of the facility and a short walk down a well-lit hall to the laboratory doors. What surprised Skip the most was that these doors remained shut when Hammerhorn was out and about. He had expected the doors to have been blasted open. Either Project Hammer was far more intelligent than first anticipated or he found another exit.

No matter, what he was looking for was on the other side.

He reached towards the panel and typed in the override code.

A soft ding filled his ears and the doors let out a loud hiss. They began to slowly slide aside.

"Whoa... How'd you do that?" exclaimed one of the two Builders that had accompanied him. "You must have... erk!?"

The guy clutched his gut and doubled over. Veins popped all over his temples as he fell to his knees. A cry erupted from his lips as thick, ivory bones erupted from his spine, tearing right through his clothes. His cock erupted from deep within his pants, ripping the fabric to shreds. Every muscle on his body began to bulge and throb, growing in tandem with his growls. The pained cries began to become far more feral and lost their agonised edge to become far more lustful. The pain faded from his eyes as they glazed over. Even as ivory bones jutted out of his back and curved painfully through the air to wrap around his pectorals to form a sort of bony armour, he only grunted. Cum poured out of cock but he didn't seem to register it as he just stare dead ahead at Skip's back. His arms grew enormous, almost as tall as he was. The added weight caused him to pitch forward and slam his knuckles into the ground. A sharp bone erupted from his elbow, adding an extra weapon to his arsenal.

His transformation complete, Skip turned his gaze towards the remaining Builder... who gave him a tired, exasperated look.

"Well, isn't this a surprise," Skip chuckled. "Of all the people to run into down here..."

The Builder folded his arms and gave Skip a cocky smile. "I had always thought that the Angelus of the humans would've been a Collector but I didn't think I'd ever have the honour of meeting him." He gave Skip a vague wave. "I'm known as Bulldozer. Codename: Metro-Prime."

"Serial number?" asked Skip.

"You first," countered Bulldozer with a smirk.

Smiling back, Skip said, "I am known as Skip. Formerly Steven. Codename: Gaius. Serial Number: NXC04585461."

Bulldozer let out a long, low whistle. "You're from the _Conglomerate_core company itself, eh? Section 45 too. Pretty damn high." He nodded in respect. "My serial number is NXS08911413."

"NexSports," chuckled Skip. "I would've figured you'd be more suited to the Wreckers than the Builders in that case."

"Now don't stereotype me. But if you must know, I was with the Wreckers." He reached over and patted the heavily breathing mutated rhino by his side. "I was actually planning to bring old Theo here to the Wreckers." His features grew grim. "The Builders are now getting more powerful and Hammerhorn is losing his confidence, thus his control over his army. If this goes on, we'll have more Builders than Wreckers."

"And that'll be just as big an imbalance than if Hammerhorn were to take over completely," agreed Skip grimly. His features darkened, his cheery grin long gone. "I sensed his waving confidence in the Haze as well. How many does he have under his command now? Two dozen?"

"Just fourteen. Last night, in his panic, he tried to be smart and got some of his guys to try and jump across the street from a nearby building." Bulldozer grunted and shook his head. "Nearly got them killed... Lucky I was there to change into a Builder and wake Newhome up. They would've lain there wailing until they died. I convinced Kevin to ask one of the Collectors for help."

Skip glanced over his shoulder. "So that was you who kept the Gate opened?"

Bulldozer shook his head grimly. "No. That's from the Director himself. Horngate Protocol."

Skip glanced off into the distance. "So it's begun." Then he grinned. "Sooner than I had expected. Still, I'm glad that we're finally ready to end the cycle." His smile faded. "But we can't let Hammerhorn get assimilated or let him to get too powerful."

The other rhino stepped up beside Skip. "I've got a plan and it'll be in line with Project Arcadia's guidelines. It's drastic, though."

Letting out a soft snort. Skip said, "Now is not the time to be conservative. We're all moving forward now. If we don't push them, they'll get left behind. Just tell me what I need to do."

A smile crossed Bulldozer's face. "First, help me destroy this lab. Then, I need an Arcadian Key..."

******

349:10:24:14:43:45

Anodyne straightened and wiped his brow. The air in Hornton was much hotter than the Blessed Mountain which he preferred over all else. The rhino body was also a little clumsier than the dexterous Behemoths of the Mountain but he had learned how to make do with whatever body he had. The Wrecker suddenly kicked but froze and let out a shout of pain.

"Keep him down!" he growled.

Finn threw his weight across the Wrecker, pinning the guy down on the bed. Opposite to Anodyne, Savage held the other leg down. The Wrecker was mostly asleep having been given a cocktail of drugs that would've killed a normal man. For Beasts, however, the drugs only threw him into a semi-awake state. He kept wailing about Hammerhorn, begging and pleading but Anodyne mostly ignored it.

With a growl, he snapped the broken leg back into position. The rhino went stiff with agony, throwing his head back in agony. He quickly seized a splint and wrapped it against the leg with a thick layer of gauze and rope. That would keep the Wrecker from injuring himself and prolonging his recovery.

Something he had always noted about the Beasts. Despite all known medical science - at least from what he had read in the books he stole - most broken body parts needed resetting manually. But the Haze seemed to do this for the Beasts at regular intervals. It was sudden, abrupt and often painful but when it happened, the Beast usually did something stupid to break it again. Eventually, they'd learn but most of the more 'primal' Beasts like the Wreckers were too stupid to take the lesson to heart.

Now with the last patient treated, Anodyne straightened and took a step back from the bed. "It's a good thing you called me here. They would've healed eventually but you'd all have been driven crazy with all their shouting and wailing..."

"Thanks so much for doing this," Finn said, sliding off the Wrecker's chest. "These guys maybe Wreckers but they're still living people. I hated to see them in such pain..."

"That attitude it going to get you in trouble," rumbled Anodyne with a faint smile. "But then again, how much more trouble could you get into, right?"

Far behind them, the next group of Collectors was arriving. Of course it had to be Gantry and his charges, the Twins. Anodyne watched as the trio were greeted as heroes by the various Builders. The Twins lapped up the glory by flexing and boasting but Gantry just sulked and gave those Builders that approached him a baleful look. He figured it was about time he pulled everyone out before fireworks really started to fly.

"Renegade, Savage," he ordered, "go find Skip. Let's get out of here. It's Gantry's turn."

"Yessir!" Renegade exclaimed, saluting him and quickly bolting away.

Savage, however, remained behind. "Listen," said the rhino gravely, "if you've got a problem with Renegade..."

He cut off his fellow Collector with a quick slicing motion. "I don't. I was opposed to making him a Collector because I believe he could've done more as a human than as one of us. I still think he lacks the discipline to truly embody our virtues but he has something greater that I feel is going to change the world as we know it."

His friend gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about? Renegade makes a great Collector."

"I think he'd make a far better ambassador," countered Anodyne. "I feel that had he remained amongst the Arcadians, he would've bridged the gaps between us and them. Maybe every Arcadian would've become a Collector and our numbers wouldn't be so strained as they are now." He smiled faintly. "Imagine it, Savage. Our brotherhood thirty-or-so strong. Even if Renegade were to do what he did now and form a bridge between us and the Builders, even if the two Gates remained open, we wouldn't be so stressed trying to manage our resources from one Gate to the other..."

Savage ducked his head and glanced over at Finn. "You know the scary part? I think if we were to tell him about that, he'd do something crazy to try and fix it."

"I have no doubt about it." Anodyne chuckled softly. "He has a good heart. Filled with hope and his head is full of revolutionary ideas. It's refreshing to have a spark of life back in our society." He cast his gaze towards the Builders. "A society that's just grown bigger."

"And it's thanks to Renegade," added Savage.

There was a defensiveness in Savage's voice that was rather unbecoming of a Collector but Anodyne thought to file it for later consideration. There were other emotions that were flaring up that he had to keep an eye on. The source of which was rapidly approaching them.

Gantry eyed the Wreckers with a scowl on his face. "I heard they thought they could fly."

"Half of them made it," Savage countered. "Maybe it's another change that's happening here."

Anodyne growled at the younger Collector for antagonising Gantry and Savage averted his gaze. "If these are Hammerhorn's men, then he's significantly weaker. They could just as well be deserters hoping to Return. We won't know until they wake up."

"Maybe," grunted Gantry. He flicked an ear in the direction of the Return Gate. "You guys should head off soon." He offered them both a shaky smile. "The Builders are actually trying to get one of the vehicles to start running. Maybe we might be able to start taking them instead of walking all the way back to the Gates."

Was that a degree of acceptance from the gruff Collector? Anodyne liked to believe so. Maybe if he got to spend some extended time here in Hornton, he'd grow to understand that it was definitely moving forward.

Renegade arrived a moment later with Skip in tow. They reported that the lab doors were inaccessible and the Builders were just going to ignore it for the most part. Skip began theorising excitedly about conspiracy theories and evil experiments.

"If the labs are locked and there's no one on the other side, that must mean that they were trying to keep something in right? Right?"

No one wanted to mention that the door was locked for three hundred years. If the opposite was true and those people had been locked in there, there was a good chance they didn't survive.

Anodyne didn't want to think about that and handed Gantry a bottle of painkillers. "Give these to these guys with some water. They need to stay off their injured limbs. If they start trying to get up, give them an anaesthetic."

"We have anaesthetics?" Gantry asked, puzzled. "Better question, we have needles that can puncture rhino skin?"

"No." Anodyne massaged his knuckled ominously. "Anaesthetics."

Eyes wide, Gantry nodded after taking the meaning. "Alright. You guys take care." His eyes roved over the other Collectors. Though he only spent a second glancing over Finn, at least he didn't snarl and glower. "All of you."

"Awww! Of course we will!" exclaimed Skip, bouncing over to Gantry and giving him a big hug. "Nothing is going to happen to us!"

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Gantry, pushing Skip away though it was a little difficult to push the young Collector away. "Come on, kiddo. I got a job to do."

"Don't we all," answered Skip, surprisingly pensively.

A shiver ran down Anodyne's spine but he ignored it. "Say your goodbyes folks. We'll be back in two days."

******

349:10:24:17:51:39

The sun was just setting and Gantry couldn't be more relieved. It was almost time to head back to camp. He felt tense all day. Not only because he watched his beloved Hornton change but also because he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. At least the first part he was getting somewhat used to. The shock and rush of all the changes was just frightening for him but now that they were settling in and he could see how happy the Builders were... well, how could he really oppose that?

Hornton was indeed changing for the better and he had Finn to thank for that. He wasn't going to thank him though. In his heart, he would, but not out loud.

He wiped his brow. He was still sweating from that soccer match he had played with the other Builders. They were getting really good and memories of the game had sprung up in Gantry's mind. He remembered enjoying the game some time before. When he heard that the Arcadians had setup a soccer field, he felt the same jolt in his heart as he did when he saw the field in Newhome. Only this time, he actually acted on that little jolt and joined in the game.

Being a rhino made for some clumsy manoeuvring but thank goodness he was a Collector and carried over some of the best traits of the other races. Even with his size, he was trained to use it to his advantage and was faster, more agile and nimble than the other Builders. He scored the most goals than anyone else and he felt pride cause his chest to his higher than it had ever risen.

Sitting on the edge of the wall, his feet dangling on the edge, he still felt like he was on top of the world, looking down. He could see where he was before and where he had been. It seemed so distant and he never wanted to go back there again. He understood what the Builders felt. They were likely just as scared of change as he was but they embraced it and grew better for it.

He looked up into the dimming sky and watched as SOL began to dip beneath the horizon. A smile on his face, he pressed to fingers against his lips, gave them a little kiss and then pressed those fingers against his chest. With those fingers he then gripped the band across his bicep.

"You always went along with change, Rock," he murmured softly. "You really adapted so well. Even when shit hit the fan, you never gave up. You didn't go back." A soft smile touched his lips as he gripped the band fondly. "I wish you were still here... I'm sure you would've kept me from losing it at Renegade..."

A soft, lonely sigh escaped him. His eyes peered into the gentle, calm waters of the river.

"I really should apologise," he told himself. "What he's done isn't so bad... It's made this place more... liveable..." He chuckled softly to himself and glanced over his shoulder at Newhome. The Twins had found a pool hall on their patrol and had brought several pool tables into the settlement. They had taught the Builders how to play and erected some lamps around the area. Now the budding society had some evening entertainment instead of limiting their activities to when there was daylight.

Gantry had to wonder what would happen if they introduced agriculture, metal smithing, woodcraft and all the other things that Arcadia just seemed to take advantage of to this world. He admit that he felt a little jealous that the Haze provided everything the Builders could ever want and they could just spend all their time stacking blocks. But that was both a flaw and a blessing. Stacking blocks was all they knew. If the Haze ever disappeared, where would they be?

He loved Hornton far too much not to do something about that eventuality. Though he was forced to question if this was in line with the Conglomerate's ideals. After all, wasn't the whole idea of Arcadia to preserve humanity? What would they think if the very humans that they had worked so hard to save were now sharing their knowledge with Beasts.

A bitter laugh left his lips as the last vestiges of the sun and SOL dipped beneath the horizon, plunging them mostly into darkness. "Would they be proud or appalled? I guess being human is about making mistakes... We'll just have to see if this is a mistake or the right path."

The sun had fully set and he expected that he'd have to drag the Twins from whatever it was that they were doing so that they could head back. He mildly wondered what he should contribute to this community. Maybe a class in meditation would inject some needed calm into their lively society. Without some sort of body clock to dictate when they should sleep, fuck or eat, they only ever really took care of themselves if and when the need grew great. It was like having a horde of children if those children weighed over three hundred pounds, brimming with muscles and had weapons growing out of their faces.

"I wonder if I could stay here overnight..." he murmured to himself. "Maybe I can stir the pot a little." He laughed softly to himself, rubbing the black band around his arm. "You always said I should be more adventurous, Rock..."

Movement from the corner of his eye brought his attention towards the river. At first, he thought it was just some waves crashing against one another or some bird was splashing about in the waters. The ripples were a little too big, however, and he heard the faint cry of an all-too-human voice shouting for help.

He squinted in the darkness. A big, thick arm erupted from the water's surface. A rhino was flailing madly in the water. It wasn't that deep but for a species whose entire existence rested on the land and with their minds altered to suit their rolls, even wading through shallow water was an alien experience.

Gantry grunted and quickly headed down from the wall. The Builders had posted guards but they smiled at him as he headed out and hurried towards the late. He should teach them how to really keep watch but that would be for another time. It was just a short jog to the river side and he could clearly see the Builder desperately trying to pull himself out of the water. The poor rhino was in the deepest part of the river, near the middle. It was still only about nipple high for Gantry but again, to someone unused to such depth, the poor guy was struck with panic.

Kicking off his boots, Gantry quickly rushed down the sloping banks. The Builders had erected a low wall of blocks to prevent this sort of thing happening and he knew none of those in Newhome were dumb enough to try swimming... yet. Maybe this poor soul had come from some settlement upstream. Gantry waded into the water, shivering as the cold waters sucked the warmth from his body from his feet.

"Hang on, man!" he shouted, closing in on the flailing rhino. "Just keep your head above the water. I'll be there soon."

He closed in on the rhino and winced as his soaked clothes began to weigh him down. The Builder was fully dressed just like he was and all his clothes were fully soaked. That made it exceptionally difficult to keep his head above water and there was clear panic in his eyes. He caught sight of Gantry however and gurgled a cry for help before his head dipped beneath the waves. Gantry cursed under his breath and crossed the last few feet between them. He seized the rhino's hand and pulled him above the waves. The Builder gasped for breath and flung his arms desperately around Gantry's neck. He would've pulled him down beneath the waves if Gantry were a normal citizen of Hornton. Coming from Arcadia and being a fully-fledged Collector meant that he benefitted from immense strength, more so than the individual species he became. He easily hefted the Builder onto his shoulders and began wading towards the shoreline.

"You're lucky I'm not scared of water," he chuckled softly.

The Builder was just gasping for breath, barely able to talk.

"What's your name, by the way?"

Still no response and Gantry glanced over his shoulder in concern while still moving forward. The rhino was taking long, deep breaths, his eyes wide. For the poor guy, he probably just escaped from a near death experience.

Gantry briefly wondered if the Builders had a natural therapist amongst them.

These thoughts, however, were interrupted when he saw several dark figures on the shore. For a moment, he thought several other Builders had seen his heroism and had come to help him. But then he noticed that one of the rhinos was much bigger than the others.

Stopping just at the shore, Gantry dropped the 'Builder' and quickly turned towards the rhino he had just rescued. He was lean, muscular and about a few inches shorter than the average builder. He cursed under his breath and flicked his eyes back towards the dozen or so Wreckers waiting for him.

"Fuck me..."

******

349:10:24:18:33:14

Finn had asked both Lobo and Marv into the hut for the express purpose of telling them of his ailment. However, Lobo had insisted that not go without some refreshments and ended up bringing a whole tasting platter of the finest cheese the centuries old grocery store could provide. The Builders had given them some grapes as well and Marv was simply ecstatic over having them. In all the excitement and merriment, Finn couldn't bring himself to tell them.

"Ya have any idea how hard it is ta grow these bastards?" he laughed, popping a grape into his mouth with each word. "Ooooh, they're so good!"

Lobo chuckled. He had a rather odd way of eating the grapes. He carefully peeled each piece of fruit, discarding the purplish skin and leaving the white, succulent flesh for him to eat. His endless patience showed as he peeled one grape at a time until he had about ten before he began eating them with some cheese and salty, creamy crackers.

The three of them just sat on the floor of Finn and Marv's hut, their work boots at the door. Their chatter became very inane. Lobo asked about Marv's life before he became a Collector and Marv likewise returned the favour. With both of them having so much history in Arcadia, Finn felt a little left out but he enjoyed hearing about how Lobo used to be a Constructor, a smith just like Travis or how Marv once got chased by the bull across the paddocks when he pissed the animal off.

It felt nice to have the moment amongst friends. The worries of the world, Hammerhorn, Arcadia, the Director and even Finn's condition, were all left at the door and drowned out by Marv insisting Finn tried the cheddar.

"You've been rather quiet, Renegade," Lobo said. "Something the matter?"

That seemed the opportune moment to tell them both that he had _again_gone twelve hours without being fucked and had yet to transform back into a human. He feared what would happen if he stepped past the Gate to Camp Draco tomorrow and didn't change despite everyone's best efforts.

Those were thoughts that he pushed aside. He didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Just a little nervous about Camp Draco," he responded shakily. "I mean, I _barely_had any time in Hornton and suddenly, I'm heading back into another area already. And I don't even know much about it! What's it like? Are there really dragons beyond there?"

Lobo chuckled softly, something he apparently liked to do, and began peeling another grape patiently. How he managed to be so dexterous with his big, stubby, rhino hands was beyond Finn. "Yes there are dragons but they aren't what you'd think from all the legends and fairy tales. I think Camp Draco used to be some sort of military training facility or something. It certainly has that look and feel of it. It sits in the middle of a big forest and it's pretty big itself. There are military style bunks all over the area and even an airfield. There's a field of old tanks on one side of the camp. There's a path that leads down a long trail down to a coast where some ships rest as well."

"It really sounds like a military base..." Finn admitted.

"At one time, I think it was. But then the Haze hit and turned everyone into dragons. Or rather, the high ranking officers are dragons. Everyone else is sort of... in between."

Finn exchanged glances with Marv who returned a confused shrug.

"I should explain," Lobo said after popping a cube of cheese and some grapes into his muzzle. As he began to chew, he also spoke. "The people of Camp Draco have been completely brainwashed into military discipline. They're not like what the Builders used to be, though. They still have some personality but basically, the more you adhere to the military code, the higher your rank." He smiled smugly. "I'm actually a lieutenant and that's when I get the two cocks, wings, tail and fire breath."

"Ya can breathe fire!?" Marv exclaimed excitedly. "That's so cool!"

"Don't get too excited," warned Lobo. "Like I said, you've got to _earn_your way up to that. You'll start out as recruits and you'll look little more than big lizard men. You won't even have a tail. But if you commit yourself and follow their orders, perform well and show initiative, you'll get invited into the Commander's office where he proceeds to fuck you as part of your promotion."

Finn winced. The idea of someone else inside of him apart from Marv sickened him.

"Now I know you're anxious about that but that's how you get promoted," Lobo continued. "Once you become a private, you get your tail. Corporal, you get a pair of wings. At sergeant, you get your two cocks because, well, what better way to fuck lesser recruits than with twin dicks. You then become a Warrant Officer and from there, you'll get your horns. At lieutenant, you get your fire breath." Lobo shrugged absently. "From what I've seen, when you become a Captain onwards, you get specialised body parts. Vein is actually a Colonel and he has these spikes all along his back that injects this paralytic poison into his foes. He also spits venom. I've seen some Captains who are as big as Hammerhorn but have really pathetic wings. Others have huge wings that are armoured and can basically act as shields." Lobo shrugged and picked up a slice of Bree cheese. "And every promotion comes from getting fucked by the Commander in his private quarters."

"Hold up," Marv said, holding up his hands. "Did ya jus' say Vein wus a Colonel? That Vein?"

It took a second for Lobo to register the question and when he did, he threw his head back and laughed. "Come on, Rush, Vein takes his job seriously and he's the expert in Camp Draco. Somehow, the military life just fits him."

"Him and not Vale?" asked Finn. "They are twins, aren't they?"

"They're the Twins," countered Lobo. "They aren't actually twins." The Collector leader wagged a finger at them. "Remember, a new guy only appears every year. Vein and Vale were no different. It just so happens that they latched onto one another and became Collectors at the same time. That their bodies mirrored one another when they started changing was weird but I guess that's just how things were. Hell, when they were purely human, they only shared a few similarities. Now, they look so much alike!"

Lobo shook his head and muttered something about the mysteries of Arcadia as he spread some cream cheese onto a large biscuit.

"Back to Camp Draco," Finn prompted. "If they're all about military discipline, it must be really rough getting materials from them, right? They've got to keep a close eye on all their supplies."

There, their leader grunted in acknowledgement. "It is. All the food they have there is disgusting and some sort of high protein gruel. But what they lack in food they make up for in other forms. Weapons, metal and wood. One of their favourite training exercises is to just chop wood. They'd tear down one of the enormous trees framing their camp and just have their recruits swing at it over and over again until they nearly drop dead."

"That must make it hard ta get away..." Marv muttered.

"That's why generally our teams consist of a high ranking officer so we can always pull our guys out through the Gates if necessary." Lobo pressed a fist against his lips as he let out a soft burp. "That reminds me, all the dragons are always preparing for war. Don't tell me who their enemy is but they're always going about an upcoming battle and training for it."

Finn frowned. "Is there an enemy? Or is it just the one group?"

Lobo shrugged at him. "In all my years being with them, we've never been attacked. They just keep training over and over again. It's their thing. It's just the dragons of Camp Draco as far as we know. They have a few training exercises here and there but that's all they do. Train. Sure some have a few hobbies here and there but really, they just train. Train. Train. Train."

How was that different from what the Collectors did or the Arcadians? All they did was survive and pass through the Gates day in day out without ever truly making any progress. Maybe the soccer field and the stage helped introduce some culture but in the long run, how did it contribute to the world? To their survival?

Finn decided to reserve his comparisons for when he passed through the Gate. He glanced at his hands and wondered how it would feel to have scales instead of rough, leathery skin... assuming that he could change at all. What he couldn't understand was why he changed back into a human that first time but never again...

"What 'bout this 'Commander'?" asked Marv suddenly. "What's he do all day?"

Lobo's eyebrows rose. "Well, you mean apart from fuck everyone to promote them?" He shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not too sure. He doesn't have any aides or any people he really trusts. I'd call him paranoid but he socialises with the men like everyone else and when there isn't anyone to promote, he can be found in someone else's bed getting it up his ass."

"Horny base commander!" Marv laughed loudly.

As amusing as that thought was, Finn couldn't figure out one thing about Camp Draco. "If he's constantly promoting people, won't he run out of recruits eventually?"

Lobo wagged a finger at him. "Good point. The dragons can just as easily be demoted. If one of their superiors, doesn't have to be the Commander, decides that you don't deserve your rank for whatever reason, you get demoted." He shrugged absently. "I've never had it done to me and no one on our side had ever done it either but you lose whatever body parts you gained as part of the promotion." He set down his cheese knife and sighed softly. "So it gets very competitive out there. Recruits are vying for that promotion and officers are at each other's throats to get the next promotion. There's only so many Sergeants, Lieutenants and Colonels that the Camp can have. Everyone is fighting to make sure they get that promotion and keep it."

He levelled his gaze at Finn. "So when it comes to tomorrow, follow Savage's lead. Don't do anything crazy. People will literally ride your ass for the slightest fault."

Finn swallowed hard and nodded. "Alright..."

A sound of padding feet came from beyond the door and it steadily grew louder. Finn perked his ears and glanced towards the door. He guessed that was someone rushing up the stairs. Both Marv and Lobo exchanged glances and began to rise cautiously. The door burst open and Skip staggered in, panting.

"Guys! Newhome is under attack!"

******

349:10:24:18:15:10

Lobo had told the Collectors about Hammerhorn's 'power' but Gantry had been one of those that had been sceptical. However, now that he was restrained and sitting in front of the giant rhino, there was no denying the strength of the massive Beast's mere presence. The air was thick with his musk and just looking at the guy made Gantry's cock rise. Beads of sweat poured down his brow as he fought back the beast within him. It railed and rattled against his mental cages, demanding to take that succulent cock and give in.

Strangely, Hammerhorn didn't assault him. He sat on a big cushion in front of Gantry, watching him closely. They were alone in a big, abandoned building about a block away from Newhome. The other Wreckers had left them alone but he could still see their fires crackling outside through the broken windows.

"You're just like that otter, aren't you?" Hammerhorn asked softly. His eyes were filled with intelligence. Though his features were unreadable, there was no malice in his tone. Just curiosity. "Every person that I've ever encountered, be it rhino or human, has always succumbed to me within minutes. But you... and that otter. You fight back. I have no doubt you'll lose eventually but you're still fighting... No one else fought."

Gantry grunted, unwilling to give this monster any information or satisfaction. He hoped that someone would come to rescue him. But he was partnered with the Twins who were probably still playing games in Newhome. The chances of him being discovered to be missing were slim at best.

"What are you?" Hammerhorn murmured.

Again, Gantry refused to answer even as his cock painfully pressed up against his worker's pants and started to stain the fabric with his pre.

"I am not your enemy," said the massive rhino. "I know it may seem like it seeing as you're a Builder but I am not. I have been... enlightened." Hammerhorn slowly rose from his position and glanced out the window. "And humbled," he added. "Here I thought I could storm the rest of the city and bring it under my rule. Unite Hornton once and for all. Make everyone Wreckers. But one of my smarter Wreckers, Bulldozer, pointed out that I couldn't control more than thirty Wreckers and eventually, every Wreckers will 'Return' to being a Builder."

Hammerhorn scratched the thick, grey-white pelt that spread across his chest. "I too feel the need to build every now and then. But I have bigger dreams than just stacking blocks on top of one another." He fixed a piercing stare at Gantry.

Just that look made the Collector groan in lust. Every inch of him wanted to run his tongue over that glorious, godly body. He growled at himself, pulling back the Beast that so desperately wanted out. Thinking about Rock, about the Collectors, the Builders, he reminded himself of who and what he was fighting for and the humanity that he was trying to preserve.

"Do you have a goal... Hmmm... What is your name?"

Though he didn't want to reply, his lips moved without his consent. "Gantry..."

"Gantry. A good name for a Builder. Do you have a goal, Gantry?"

"Like I'd ever tell you," he snarled. He gave Hammerhorn a defiant stare but instantly regretted it. His eyes were forced to look up the big rhino's thick, muscular legs, his ripped eight pack and his mountainous pecs. He never got to look into the Beast's eyes before he was forced to turn away to preserve his humanity.

"So be it then," murmured Hammerhorn. "Let me tell you of _my_goal." He took a step forward and it was like the Beast had just punched Gantry in the gut. Gantry found himself constantly out of breath. Desperate for air, he took in long gasps that only filled his lungs with more and more of the Beast's corrupting scent. Gantry held his breath for as long as he could but his lungs burned for more tainted air. Each lungful fed the Beast and he could feel it getting stronger.

"My goal is to unite Hornton," Hammerhorn said slowly. "At first, I thought it was just under me as a Wrecker. I only saw the Builders as these mindless, cowardly oafs that would've been elevated in my presence. You've seen them before, haven't you? Just stacking blocks aimlessly with no true purpose in mind. I would've given them direction!"

"Direction to fuck and devour everything in your path!" snapped Gantry, glad to have wrested some control back from the Beast. "That's all you Wreckers are! You just consume! You don't create! The Builders create a -"

"Balance?"

Both Gantry and the Beast inside of him stared at the giant rhino in shock.

"One of my Wreckers said the same thing." Hammerhorn sat down again in front of Gantry, just about three feet away now. "Builders and Wreckers. We form an endless cycle of destruction and creation. But we are so equally matched that no progress can be made. If one force were to get the advantage over another, though, growth becomes stagnant. If Wreckers took over, there'd be nothing for us to consume, no one to build for us. If Builders took over, they would ceaselessly expand and never know their limits. They'd become like a cancer on this world. Growing but never knowing what is the right way to expand."

Gantry mulled over the words, surprised at their... coherency. And to think it came from another Wrecker other than the mutant Hammerhorn... It gave him a lot to think about and the mental focus required to keep up the thoughts was enough to subdue to Beast, if momentarily.

Looking back at the Builders, he could see them absorbing all there was about human culture and expanding. But did they really have a direction? Did they truly have somewhere to go? What was their end goal? To rebuild the very same society that came crashing down and made them? To repeat the same mistakes? Did Hammerhorn truly have a point...?

"I was so confident charging at their settlement," grunted Hammerhorn. "All I had in mind was to tear them down, make them like me and rule_Hornton." He made a slicing gesture with his hand. "But then _Arcadia showed up."

Again, Gantry froze. "Arcadia?"

The rhino shook his head mildly and tapped his temple. "It was a word that popped into my head. Somehow, I knew it was to blame for how the Builders suddenly decided to fight back. I don't know what it is. But it's bringing change." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I need to change with it or I will be left behind."

"What are you... Urf...?" Gantry grunted as the Beast started fighting back again. Its curiosity was sated and now it wanted free.

"Can't you feel it, Gantry?" prompted Hammerhorn, leaning forward. Their noses were almost touching and the rhino's power was simply overwhelming. Gantry could feel the cages of his Beast starting to rot away and the monster desperately reaching for the king amongst rhinos. "The world is finally moving. It's in the air. It's in the ground beneath our feet. In our very bones." He made a fist and shook it slightly. "It's like the world was asleep for the longest time and now, it's just awoken. Things are changing."

Hammerhorn leaned back, giving Gantry some reprieve from the overwhelming power he had. "Did you know that I was made into what I am now by the Nexus Conglomerate?"

Gantry's eyes widened. "You know about the Conglomerate?"

"And it seems you do too," answered the rhino with a sly smirk. "Yes, they made me. They taught me all I know. They bred me to be a leader. To unite the Wreckers. But I escaped. When I learned about the Wreckers, about how they were free to be who they wanted to be, I decided to choose freedom over purpose. I spent years just being a Wrecker. But then I felt things start to shift. I felt the world move. It started to breathe again."

Hammerhorn turned his gaze out the nearby window. "I realised that I couldn't live in this perpetual paradise anymore. If I left myself blind to the changes to the world, if I just sat by and pretended I couldn't do anything and continued being a simple Wrecker, then I would soon find myself without anything."

He turned his eyes back towards Gantry, once again paralysing the Collector under those deep, black eyes. "I did what I needed to so that I could form an empire that would last through this change. I thought that could be achieved through mere conquest. But now I realise I need the Builders just as they need me."

A soft chuckle escaped him as he again turned towards the window. Gantry realised he had been holding his breath and let out a gasp for air. "Bulldozer, that Wrecker who guided me, told me that Builders and Wreckers are like a man trying to build his body with muscle. You need to damage your muscles slightly, strain it a little so that the body knows to start building muscles in those areas. We Wreckers destroy so that the Builders have room to build and improve. But we need a goal to build towards. We need a leader."

"You...?" growled Gantry.

"Can you think of anyone else?" countered Hammerhorn. "I admit, I have made mistakes and I have been consumed by greed and lust... But I am learning." He came closer to Gantry, the two of them almost on top of one another. "And I have learned that you are something special. You are not like the other Builders. You are something more..." His eyes narrowed and Gantry felt himself melt. "What are you?"

For the second time that day, Gantry couldn't stop his lips from moving without his consent. "I'm a Collector."

Hammerhorn pulled back in surprise. "A Collector? Is that some breed of Builder?"

"No." Gantry couldn't stop himself. The Beast had taken over most of his body and it was completely subservient to Hammerhorn. "We're humans. Sort of. We live in a place called Arcadia. We've got Gates, portals, into other worlds occupied by Beasts like you. We take on the shape of other Beasts and steal what resources we can because Arcadia can't support all of us!"

The giant rhino's eyes widened. "Humans still exist... and there are other Beasts?" He turned around, his back towards Gantry. "This... this changes everything. The world is moving... It's moving too fast. We need to prepare. What if the Beasts invade? What if we're attacked?"

"Only one Gate is open at a time and it's only open on Arcadia's side. There are no Gates leading from Hornton to anywhere else."

Hammerhorn spun around, his eyes blazing. "But humans can invade our_lands and take from _us."

Gantry ducked his head in shame. "We don't have the endless resources of the other areas. Everything here just miraculously replenishes itself and remains fresh forever. In Arcadia, things rot and our supplies are finite. We have to grow our own fruits and vegetables! Not even the Builders can do that! They just get their food from whatever the Haze provides."

"What is this Haze?" barked Hammerhorn angrily.

Gantry squeezed his eyes shut, tears flowing from his cheeks even as his cock strained against his pants. "It's some sort of substance in the air. It's everywhere except for Arcadia. If you breathe it in, it turns you into the Beast of that area. It messes with your head. Makes you start thinking like the Beast you've become. Collectors are trained to resist it though."

Hammerhorn took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "That's what I felt changed... The Haze changed. For some reason, I smelled it in the air. I felt it in my body... It was this Haze..." He shot a piercing stare at Gantry. "Why did it change?"

"I don't know!" he pleaded. A loud groan escaped his lips. His hips bucked involuntarily and his erect cock ripped right through his pants. His eyes were half-closed in lust and his tongue was rolling from his lips. "I... I don't..."

"Damnit, Gantry!" shouted Hammerhorn, seizing his shoulders. "I need to know! My people are at the mercy of this Haze and it's changed! What other changes have occurred? How will this affect the Wreckers and Builders!? Is this why the Builders could fight back!?" He shook Gantry roughly. "Tell me!"

Gantry was slowly becoming overcome with lust and his mind was fading. Try as he might, he couldn't pull himself from the darkness that was quickly closing on his consciousness. He could barely hear Hammerhorn's demands and didn't even feel the big rhino's hands around his shoulders. All he could sense was the thick smell in the air that was sucking out all his memories, all his thoughts and all his emotions. All that was left was the undeniable desire to orgasm. What fear he felt over losing his mind and succumbing to the Haze faded and he was left only with blissful knowledge that soon, he would spill his seed. It was a bestial desire and one he eagerly encouraged.

The last fragments of what made up Gantry gripped onto the edges of consciousness but he found himself slipping. He closed his eyes, apologising mentally to Finn for judging him too harshly, to Lobo for failing him and to Rock... for disappointing him.

With those last thoughts... he let go.

******

349:10:24:19:05:43

They came out of the night while everyone was still winding down. Exhausted from the day's work, the Builders barely had any energy left to even raise the alarm. The Wreckers just burst out of the tunnel leading into the _NexPharm_facility, pouring in and screaming like madmen. Some brandished torches and others had makeshift weapons made from lumber or steel rods. None of it was enough to truly hurt a Builder but the shock of the blow was enough for a Wrecker to pin them to the ground, tear their pants off and shove their erect dicks into their waiting asses.

Kevin could only watch in horror from his room as Newhome fell into disarray. The Wrecker numbers quickly multiplied. In the span of five minutes, there were twice the number of the invading army and they were cornering Builders to transform them as well. He watched as his friends tore off their shirts, all traces of body fat fading from their bodies as they became full-blown Wreckers.

Then, he came.

Several Wreckers hit the gates and pulled them open. Hammerhorn stormed through, grinning from ear to ear. Just his mere presence caused dozens of Builders around him to double over in pain as they transformed into their more bestial counterparts. The society that they had built, thoughts of soccer, basketball, whittling and medical care all faded into wild lust. Cum was spilled everywhere as Wreckers stormed Newhome.

Kevin pulled away from the window of his second storey apartment, just above the grocery store. All hopes of escape were gone and he was finding it hard to breathe. The air was already thick with the smell of sex and heavy with a scent that demanded he fall to his knees, give up and wait for the Wreckers to burst through his door and feed him their corruptive cum.

He shook his head and seized the closet thing he could think of that could serve as a weapon. It was a broom. It took him a whole five minutes before he realised just how stupid hitting a full-grown Wrecker with a broom was. Someone was already banging on his door by the time he tossed it away.

BAM!

His heart jumped to his throat. A Wrecker surged right through his door, horn first. The mad rhino looked vaguely like some Builder he once knew and judging from the torn shirt and fluorescent vest he wore, he had been a Builder once. He was missing his pants, however, leaving his cock to be free and erect. Precum was drooling out of the tip and pooling beneath him, mirroring the drool dropping from his tongue which hung out wildly as he panted.

"Come on..." Kevin begged, taking a step back with his hands raised. "Please... Don't... We worked so hard... Don't let it end like this..."

But the former Builder was beyond reason and just stepped forward, salivating hungrily with his hands already groping the air in preparation for the transformation and release he was about to give. Kevin felt more afraid than anything else and staggered away from the Wrecker. His back pressed up against the window. One glance over his shoulder and he vaguely wondered if he could make the jump.

A loud moan made him turn back towards his assailant. The big Wrecker's eyes rolled back into the back of his head and his entire body began quivering with excitement. Kevin braced himself but spent one second to allow himself to be amazed that the Wrecker could orgasm hands free. But there was something more beyond just mere stimulation. Right before his eyes, he watched as the Wrecker's big, black nipples began to grow. A clear fluid began dripping from them as they grew bigger and thicker. They grew into six inch long tubes of flesh with no signs of slowing. The Wrecker seized them, one in each hand and licked his lips. His groaning became a soft gurgling and he tipped his head back.

Kevin's eyes widened as he saw something push up against the Wrecker's throat, slowly making its way up the rhino's jaw. Whatever it was, it was big and thick, forcing the rhino's lips to peel open in a lusty gurgle. It sprang up from deep within his muzzle, shooting clear fluids from its fleshy tip onto the floor. It took Kevin a second to realise that a penis had just sprung up from the Wrecker's throat. Worse yet, the guy's nipples had evolved into twelve inch, throbbing dicks shooting precum wildly onto his apartment floor.

Disgust ruled all other emotions and Kevin actually scrambled up onto his windowsill to avoid the growing pool of precum that the mutant Wrecker was creating. So overcome with pleasure was the monster, that the Wrecker toppled onto his side, his body overcome with spasms and wild twitches. A muffled moan escaped him and all four of his cocks erupted wildly. They sprayed his seed all over the floor, a sea of thick, white seed quickly covering the concrete.

The orgasm seemed to go on for three whole bursts before the Wrecker fell unconscious from the overstimulation. Though his cocks continued to squirt, his eyes were firmly shut and only soft moans escaped his throat.

"Oh... that's gross..." Kevin winced.

He looked for a way off his window so that he didn't touch the goo that covered every inch of his floor. In his search, he noticed there was someone standing at his door. For the second time in the past ten minutes, his heart leapt to his throat.

It was a Collector. Skip, if he remembered correctly. But there was something odd about the way he was standing. The human in Builder form was staring at him with amused, brown eyes and a delicate smirk on his features. While he was dressed just like any Builder, he seemed infinitely calm and... out of place in the chaos of happening around them.

"Skip! Skip! Did you find him!?"

That was Finn!

Kevin met Skip's gaze again. The Collector waved one hand idly. All the cum across the floor suddenly began to drain away, seeping between the cracks as if compelled by some powerful force that Kevin's simple mind could not comprehend. Once every drop was gone, the extraneous penises jutting from the Wrecker began to shrink, sliding back into the unconscious rhino's body. Before long, they vanished all together.

A different kind of fear gripped Kevin's heart.

Especially as Skip pressed a single finger against his lips while smirking softly at him.

"Ssssh." Then the rhino's features suddenly broke into a bright, cheery smile and he began bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I found him! He's over here! He's safe!"

Within moments, Finn, Marv and another Collector - Lobo if Kevin remembered correctly - came running down the hallway, stopping in front of his door. Finn looked the most relieved of them all and took several steps forward before Lobo stopped him, indicating the unconscious Wrecker on the floor.

"Watch your step. One stray drop of cum and you just might be joining Hammerhorn's posse."

Finn nodded in acknowledgement and gingerly navigated around the unconscious Wrecker. He threw his arms around Kevin who was still somewhat paralysed with fear. Kevin's eyes did not leave Skip's who seems to bright and cheery and yet held an unnerving edge to his gaze. Only when Finn pulled away did he turn his gaze back to his friend.

"I'm glad you're safe," Finn sighed. "Come on, we've got a few survivors holed up in the garage."

"The garage?"

Finn seized his hand and pulled him out of his room. The other Collectors were barging into the other rooms, looking for survivors. It broke Kevin's heart how many screams of lust erupted from his neighbours and how few Builders remained. Wreckers came at them, salivating like wild beasts and their cocks dripping. The Collectors put their weapons to good use. Marv clobbered one over the head with his shovel and used his immense strength to knock the dazed rhino into a nearby room.

Lobo showed the greatest finesse of them all. A Wrecker charged at them and he displayed unnatural speed and agility as he slipped right past the guy in the narrow hallway and swung his sword, slicing into the hamstrings of the rhino. The Wrecker toppled to the ground, roaring in agony and unable to rise to his hands and feet. Kevin was pulled around the raging rhino, saddened at the sight of the fluorescent jacket the man wore.

They arrived in the garage a moment later where two vehicles were being prepped by two other Collectors, the Twins if Kevin recalled correctly. The vehicles had been worked on throughout the entire day and weren't completely in working order. They had plenty of gasoline but the engines were fried. There were tools strewn about everywhere, however, and one of the Twins started a vehicle each. The engines roared to life. The pungent aroma of burning fossil fuels rose up and drowned the musk of sex. The headlights of the vehicles bounced against the closed garage doors, ready to charge through.

One was a large, red pickup truck and the other was a big, sky blue van. Lobo began barking orders, beckoning what few survivors remained to jump into the vehicles. Kevin was ushered into the back of the truck while the four Builders they had managed to rescue and one of the Twins hurried into the back of the van. Lobo jumped into the cabin of the truck along with the other Twin while Marv and Finn fell in beside Kevin. Skip took control of the van and gave Lobo a nod through the window.

Lobo hit a remote and the garage doors began to rise quickly. Kevin found himself unable to breathe and his eyes widened when large hands seized the rising door. Wreckers yanked the roller doors upwards. Their hungry eyes were suddenly filled with shock at the sight of the two vehicles looming in front of them.

Kevin held on for dear life as the truck surged forward, ploughing right through even the massive Wreckers. He guessed it was only the shock of seeing the vehicles that had allowed the truck to pass them by. If they were prepared, he doubted the vehicle would've been capable of charging through them.

Lobo drove right through the chaos of Newhome, charging right through the soccer field with Skip in the van just behind him. He came to a skidding turn as he angled the truck towards the big, broad doors to the facility.

"Shut the gates!"

The cry came from Hammerhorn. The enormous leader of the Wreckers waved his enormous hammer around, bellowing the order. But in the sex-crazed madness brought on by the invasion, none of his Wreckers obeyed.

"Wait! Wait!"

Kevin spun towards the desperate plea. A Wrecker was waving towards them, hobbling on one leg that was encased in a plaster cast. He was waving, his eyes wide with desperation.

"Take me with you! Please!"

Kevin exchanged glances with Finn and the two shared the same thought. Glancing around, Kevin picked up the only thing he could think of that could be used as a weapon - a crowbar. Marv banged on the back of the cabin window, giving Lobo pause. Just as the Collector leader turned around, Kevin and Finn both vaulted off the tray of the truck.

"Renegade! Kevin!" Lobo shouted.

They both rushed through the rescue of the hobbling Wrecker. Kevin's heart froze in his chest when a bloodcurdling roar erupted from his right and a Wrecker came rushing towards him, eyes mad with last. He begged his limbs of move but they just would not respond. Suddenly, Finn was in front of him, swinging his bat. There was a loud, wooden crack as the bat collided with the side of the Wrecker's head, sending the rhino toppling.

Kevin shook the fear from his system and gave Finn a nod of thanks. Another Wrecker charged from directly in front of them but he was ready this time. He ducked just as the Wrecker swung his massive arms at him, hoping for a bear hug. He slammed the head of the crowbar into the rhino's washboard abs, a whoosh_of air brushing overhead as the Wrecker's lungs were emptied. The Wrecker's eyes went wide like saucers as Kevin drove his crowbar right into his balls with a mighty, wet _thunk.

He felt the poor guy's pain but had something else to focus on.

He and Finn reached the Wrecker and he draped the rhino's arm over his shoulder, half-carrying, half-dragging the guy towards the pickup truck. Other Wreckers were trying to climb onto the back of the pickup but Marv was holding them off with his shovel. He then was forced to stop as three Wreckers, all former Builders, loomed in front of them, grinning from ear to ear with their eyes glimmering.

"Oh crap..." Kevin muttered.

A deafening screech suddenly cut through the air. A sky blue van rammed_right into the three Wreckers with a mighty_thud. Two were sent flying while one crumpled against the bonnet of the truck.

"Get moving!" Skip shouted as he revved the engine.

Whatever power Skip truly held, Kevin decided it didn't matter and hurled over to the pickup truck. He pulled the injured Wrecker onto the back of the pickup while he and Finn jumped in.

"Go! Go!" Finn roared.

Ahead of them, Skip drove his van right out of the settlement. Lobo shot forward at full speed, easily slipping past the broad, open gates.

The last thing Kevin heard from the settlement was Hammerhorn's frustrated roar.

*******

349:10:24:19:48:01

"Thank you for saving me..."

Finn glanced from the Wrecker. The rhino was the usual build of a Wrecker; slightly smaller than a Builder, without an ounce of body fat on his body. However, like every Wrecker, he had some unique markings that asserted his individuality. He had a ring of tribal tattoos wrapping around his forearms and stark, green hair that almost looked like it grew out of his skull like that. His largest horn was also broken about half way.

"Do ya hav' a name?" Marv asked.

The Wrecker paused for a moment. "Carver." The truck bounced slightly as they hit a small pothole. "I go by Carver."

"Why did you want to be rescued?" Finn asked.

A sour expression crossed Carver's features. "Hammerhorn. He's crazy. He told us to jump off a building to make it into the settlement. From across the street! I broke my leg and my _horn_because of him!" He grunted as he rubbed the cast. "My leg feels better now but I can't get out of this fucking cast..."

"A Wrecker that can't wreck?" Kevin muttered bitterly. "That's new."

Carver shot him a foul look. "Look, if you didn't want me along, why did you save me?"

Kevin's expression softened and he let out a sorrowful sigh. "I'm sorry... It's just... my home is gone now. We worked so hard to make it what it is... and in the span of less than an hour... it's gone." He growled at himself. "Damnit..."

The truck came to a halt, bathed in the light of the Return Gate.

"Don't worry," Finn said, leaping out of the back of the truck. "You're safe."

"Safe!?" Kevin shouted, throwing his hands through the air. "How are we safe!?_Hammerhorn is out there! He took down Newhome in less than an _hour! Even if we went to the other settlements and started building them up, his force is now at least twice as strong! We're never going to hold up against him."

He started tugging at his shirt, angry tears running down his face. "We might as well... urf... just tear these damn things off and... grr... present ourselves to him!"

Carver suddenly reached out and seized Kevin's hands. "You don't want to do that, buddy. Trust me. Being a Wrecker is shit. You're constantly starving, fighting against one another and scrounging for whatever you can find to eat. The only time we became somewhat better was when I was under Hammerhorn's command and even then, it was like I wasn't me anymore. I just followed him. I did whatever he said without a care in the world."

"It's better than dying slowly as he wipes us out slowly!" Kevin shouted, knocking Carver's hands away. "If I'm going to go out, I'm going to go out on my own terms."

"Who says you have to go out?"

Finn smiled faintly as Lobo hopped into the tray and held out two, metal rods for the two. At the van, Skip and the Twins were explaining what the Keys were to the remaining Builders.

"What are these?" Kevin asked through his tears.

"They're Keys. They'll allow you to pass through the Return Gate into Arcadia."

Finn beamed and Kevin caught his gaze.

"Y... you're letting us into Arcadia?" stammered Kevin.

Lobo sighed and gave Finn a knowing smile. "Believe it or not, we are." He looked off into the distance. A plume of smoke was rising from the distance. The loud bellows of the rhinos could be heard even from where they stood. "Things are changing. Hammerhorn is taking over Hornton. Two gates have opened instead of just one. And... we lost Gantry."

Kevin's eyes widened. He didn't know that Gantry had fallen to the Wreckers...

"I'm sorry..."

Lobo shook his head, waving at him absently. "Fact of the matter is, we're already stretched thin as is and we just lost our Hornton expert. Renegade convinced me and the other Collectors that this is no longer just about survival. We're fighting not just for ourselves but for you guys as well. We can't just pretend we're the only ones that matter in the world anymore." He offered Kevin a faint smile. "Being with you guys showed that the 'Beasts' aren't just wild animals or brainwashed monsters. There's humanity in there. And Arcadia is all about preserving humanity." His eyes went towards Finn. "Not humans."

Turning back towards Kevin, Lobo said, "So congratulations. You're being drafted into the Arcadian Collectors. Welcome aboard."

******

349:10:25:08:21:01

It was understandable that the rhinos that they had rescued were still traumatised over what they had experienced. Culture shock had set in when they had stepped through the Return Gate and into Arcadia. None of them had seen so much greenery below even in the dead of night. Luckily, none of the Cultivators or Constructors had been awake at the time so it was easy to hurry them towards the Collector camp where they stayed in various huts that had been left unoccupied.

Lobo decided to let them sleep in.

At the moment, he had business to attend to.

The Collective was already awake and he could see Travis' forge was already in use. As he strode up, many of the Constructors or Cultivators greeted him with warm smiles and a wave. None of them dared to get close, however. He returned the gesture, trying to force a smile despite knowing what was coming next.

He found Travis just starting his forge while Gavin had just dropped off some wood to fuel it. Gavin was the first to see him and began edging away warily. Travis beamed and leaned against the stone frame of the forge casually.

"Lobo, hey. Broke your sword again?"

Lobo shook his head, dropping his smile. "No, actually. I just wanted to give you fair warning."

"Fair warning?" Travis repeated. He laughed softly. "What? You're going to try and recruit me again? I told you before, Lobo. You're like a brother to me and I don't fuck my brothers."

"It's not that."

Travis' easy smile began to fade. "Is it about Finn?"

"It is." He glanced over at Gavin. "Can we have some privacy?"

Gavin stood his ground, to his credit. "If this concerns Arcadia, then I'm staying."

"Suit yourself." Turning back towards Travis, Lobo said, "Last night, Hammerhorn, this mutant of a Wrecker, ten feet tall and the commander of the Wreckers, attacked the Builder settlement that we pace peace with."

Travis' hostility instantly faded. "Oh shit... and Finn was in there? Did he...?" He pushed off the forge. "Oh shit... No... Everyone else is going to take this badly... They were hoping he'd be there to present the trophy at the end of the soccer tournament...!"

Lobo held up his hand, calming his friend. He was somewhat relieved to know that Travis still cared about Finn... somewhat. "It's okay. Finn is okay. It's just that we've lost our allies in Hornton now."

"Then supplies are going to get scarce again..." Travis leaned back against his forge, this time a little more dejected. "Shit... And here I was just getting used to having metal to spare..."

"Maybe."

A frown crossed the ebony skinned Constructor's face. "Maybe? What do you mean, maybe? Just spit it out, Lobo."

Taking a deep breath, Lobo chose his words carefully. "Newhome, that's what the settlement is called, was overtaken by Hammerhorn. We managed to rescue some Builders." He paused, gauging Travis' expression. "And brought them here... to Arcadia."

For a second, Travis' features didn't move. It took a whole ten seconds for him to process those words. Then...

"You did what!?"

"It was my idea," Lobo lied. "We lost Gantry to Hammerhorn and we needed a replacement. Plus the Builders know Hornton better than anyone and it'll be easier to convince other Builders to join up with us than -"

"Are you fucking nuts!?" shouted Travis, throwing his hands into the air. "You let _Beasts_into Arcadia!? Lobo, we can't defend against them!"

"They're not our enemy!" Lobo shouted back. "They're refugees. Allies. I've already spoke to one of them and he's willing to fight for Hornton for us. He's going to do what he can to bring the Builders together and build a big enough defence around the Return Gate to prevent Hammerhorn from coming in here."

"I don't care! You can't trust them!"

"I can even if you don't," Lobo growled. "You're not out there in the field, Travis. I am. Those people out there? They're not animals. They're humans_who were transformed into Beasts because of the apocalypse but they're humanity beneath that thick skin. This _will be good for us."

"It'll only lead to disaster! If one of them -"

"One of them won't get loose." Lobo decided to use his closer as he was growing tired of the tired, old arguments. "We can trust these guys. And if you don't, think about this." He leaned down towards Travis, eyes narrowed. "We lost a Collector out there. One of our best. He has a Key. Now Hammerhorn_has that Key. If we don't fortify the Return Gate, a _real feral Beast could be charging right through that Gate" - he pointed at the Gate sitting at the centre of Arcadia - "and then you'd really be up shit creek without a paddle."

He straightened and stamped his foot to end the conversation. "We're doing this my way, Travis. There's no other way."

******

349:10:25:08:40:44

"See? What did I tell you?"

Hammerhorn was pleasantly surprised indeed. These... "Gates" were truly a masterpiece of technology. He had never heard of them when he was under the guidance of the _Nexus Conglomerate_and he guessed there was good reason for it. Standing here, now, in front of the arch with the shimmering light between it... it only brought a smile onto his features.

"So how does it work?" he asked.

Gantry grinned beside him. The ten foot tall rhino rolled his massive shoulders. "We just step through. I don't know whether or not the other side will let us go back but I still have this..." He waved the tiny, metal rod in his hand. "We'll wait until late in the night. When Arcadia is asleep. I can venture through and then if I need to make my way back through Arcadia, I can do so."

The leader of the new Hammer Empire grinned at his protégé, head advisor and lover. Last night's raid couldn't have gone better. Gantry had been the one to advise them of the tunnel leading from the NexPharm facility that offered a back door into Newhome. While he stayed back and watched, Hammerhorn had returned to him after a successful raid, swept him up in his arms and made sweet love to him that night. He had to admit, he had never felt lonely before but having a big, buff rhino his size with a sizeable amount of thick chest hair he could bury his muzzle in had taught him about what he had been missing.

And now, Gantry offered them another opportunity.

"So you think this Gate leads to this... 'Camp Draco'?" Hammerhorn asked.

"It's just a guess but I've been through to every location available to Arcadia," Gantry answered, still grinning. "I know the location of each Return Gate. I'll make my way back."

"You better," rumbled, Hammerhorn, squeezing his mate's ass playfully. His eyed the massive bicep that was no longer constrained by that black band. He had meant to ask his mate what that meant but after Gantry had changed, he didn't want to bring it up lest it bring about unwanted memories. "Now the question remains, what do we do until then? Hmmm...?"

Gantry chuckled and shuffled close to him, not-so-subtly brushing the back of his hand against Hammerhorn's cock. "I could think of a couple of things..."

A soft cough made them both turn.

It was Bulldozer.

"If I may suggest something?" the Wrecker said. "Why don't we build a base around this Gate? We want to form a balance between Wrecker and Builder, right? Let us exercise that now."

As much as Hammerhorn wanted to fuck his mate all day, he knew Bulldozer was right. They were fairly far from Newhome and as Bulldozer had warned, the Arcadians would not go down without a fight. They were likely to try and send Collectors - who were stronger, faster and tougher than even the best Wrecker save for Hammerhorn and Gantry - to reinforce the Builders. Now was not the time to go on the offensive.

They needed to bunker down and let Hornton know they were here to stay.

"Take your men and rebuild Newhome," he commanded. "I want a steady supply of food coming in from there." He pulled Gantry towards him, the other Wrecker lustily nipping at his ear. "We'll make preparations here."

Bulldozer nodded and bowed ever so slightly.

"As you wish, governor."

Hammerhorn smiled.

Governor.

He liked that.

******

Director's Report

Project Angelus

******

Direct interference the activities of the world is something I have decided to refrain from. While it is well within my power to revert everything to how it was, I cannot help but wonder where this story will go. I have a colleague who despises 'rewrites' as he calls them. He continuously has the people under his care go through reincarnation to learn some obscure lesson before he will grant them 'paradise'. I often ask him why he has them go through reincarnation. Why not simply resurrect them or send them back in time to fix the mistakes they have made. It is well within his power.

His answer often is filled with some sentimentality about the soul and truly learning a lesson instead of paying lip service. Were I in his position, I would not be wasting my time but I will admit in the case of this world, I find myself curious. If I just kept throwing everything back to the beginning and letting the story restart from the very beginning every time some grievous error hits, then it will never progress. I would be wasting more time, money and effort just guarding this world if they aren't given the chance to build upon the ashes of the world they destroyed. I admit that I am a little sore at the loss of revenue that Haze brought in this apocalypse but there is more opportunity to be had in rebuilding than in restarting.

But as I said, I am refraining from direct interference as that is how I've always started with these worlds. I create them, plant a basic seed, an idea and let it flourish. This world has had many seeds planted and it now needs the proper nourishment and environment to grow. I've poked and prodded here and there but I have decided not to make a direct appearance or show my hand too directly.

Still, I am in a conundrum.

The fledgling societies of this world could easily destroy one another and all my assets would be destroyed with it. So how can I ensure that they would survive?

Simple.

Project Angelus are several individuals planted into each society with their memories intact. Not only that, they were undercover Conglomerate employees who know their mission and purpose is to guide the world into a better future. These individuals have all shown talent in controlling the Haze naturally and were the perfect candidates for my officers on the ground.

Every Angelus is tasked with four main directives:

1) Destroy any incriminating evidence of the Nexus Conglomerate.

2) Guide their chosen species to enlightenment.

3) Eliminate all threats to Project Arcadia and

4) Do not kill anyone unless completely necessary.

Without any contact to myself or the rest of the Conglomerate, I fully expect they will come to blows against one another. I have no delusions that their fourth directive will not hold up. Death is inevitable with these agents. After all, no society is perfect and no ideology, concept or dogma is without its flaws. The purpose of the Angelus is clear.

They are the guardians of this world. They need to protect and nourish the floundering societies that, while given near-immortality, are incapable of reproduction and are stuck in some form of endless cycle or another. They are the antagonists, the revolutionaries, the foundations and the puppeteers.

I guide the direction of the Conglomerate but it is the Angelus that guide the people of this world while SOL looks after the world itself.

You might be wondering what happened to the females of this world.

I will leave that for another report.

This report is for Project Angelus, my guardian angels on this world.