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All of them, guards and prisoners alike, turned and ran towards the main gate. I did my screech again, and followed at a slow pace. The guards in the towers were turning towards us, and I saw lynxes taking aim.

Then the Scorpion fired. I was looking at the building in question at the right moment, and saw the flash of the projectile whistling in through the door.Then the entire building just went up in a magnificent stroke, bits of debris raining high into the atmosphere.

Draco and Simba were firing their rays at the towers, knocking out any lynxes who were aiming at us, and while a couple of tracer rounds bounced off me, they were soon settled. Then Draco and Simba went around the perimeter, destroying the fences, while Abby continued her systematic destruction of every building. I was blasting more buildings with my full heat ray, and realised that firing it at a building was the equivalent of removing all four walls at once, the explosion from the ray hitting the wood would bring the entire thing down by itself.

The tank slowly rumbled after me, although Abigail was looking anywhere but at me and the fleeing horde of lynxes. Silverine's hidden position occasionally erupted with gunfire as he helped me herd the lynxes towards the opening front gate. There were no sides amongst them anymore, it was all for running. Shaw actually tripped on the soft sand, but Toque grabbed him and pulled him while running until the officer regained his balance.

My screech had a devastating psychological effect. This was not the famous 'ulla' from the Martians in the musical, but the high pitched shriek of a soul in mortal agony, and then distorted through a couple of mechanical filters. The resultant cacophony even caused Simba to break radio silence to tell me it sounded hideous. I was most pleased.

The gates had now been opened, and the first group were escaping through it. This included all the rear most guards and the rear of the prisoners. I felt a clang on my bodywork, one of the lynxes on the gate had fired on me with his rifle, but I refrained from firing back because I didn't want the gate to collapse, yet. So with the occasional ping, the scorpion and the tripod herded the entire contingent out the gate, while Draco and Simba finished the perimeters.

I briefly looked back towards them, and almost gasped in surprise. The sheer size of the carnage was immense. Every single building lay in smoking ruins, or in one case rammed ruins because Abigail had driven straight through it while looking the other way. The building had tried to prevent the 60 plus ton tank from driving through it, and the ensuing argument left bits of wood on the scorpion's body work, as the house collapsed on top of it. The fences had snapped back, the towers were smoking, and the entire place looked like an Armageddon shower had struck it.

Draco refrained from pursuit, he dealt with taking pictures and searching the place for lynxes who hadn't run or had been knocked out. Simba followed me into the jungle, heading straight towards Toque and Shaw, and I activated my tracker on Liga. He was off to one side, and as we got into the trees, he darted back and forth through them. All the lynxes were using the trees as good cover, and then promptly panicked as the tripod crashed through the bushes they were hiding in. The scorpion waited until the two of us had gotten away, raised it's barrel, and then blew the walkway over the front gates into smithereens. Bits of molten metal rained around us.

The jungle made things interesting for them. While they had originally hoped it could provide cover for them and make us more visible, our X-ray made them more noticeable, and our shining steel was difficult to spot. Toque and Shaw ran off one way, and I pursued the group involving Liga. There was a cluster of nine or ten, and I thumped after them, increasing my pace.

They turned briefly in their flight, and realised that I was heading for them, and sprinted faster, every lynx with a look of terror. They had no idea what I was, how I could be beaten or why I was there, just that I had arrived and blown several buildings to matchwood. Such things must have left an unburnable memory. I caught the group up, and as I stepped up my tentacles came out.

One of them whipped around and caught two around the legs, and they were knocked to the ground. The second caught Liga around the waist, and as I halted he was lifted bodily off the ground by his own momentum. The third wrapped around both his arms, and the fourth hung waiting for any attacks from the other lynxes. I held Liga a foot off the ground, and to one side, as the other lynxes came to a halt, grabbing rocks and branches. I stopped, and faced the ill armed cluster. My heat ray shifted to the nearest, and they stared in defiance. Chasing them was all very well, but they didn't like the idea I was taking one of their friends.

So I screeched, and I held it for about ten seconds. Several lynxes held their ears, dropping whatever they were holding. The rest flinched, looking away and whimpering. The silence came back, broken by the explosion of a tank round, Abigail had fired at something.Then all was silent, and they looked at me in fear and yet defiance. I had to give them credit, they were standing up to me, knowing what I was capable of, because Liga was in danger.

"Let him go!" one of them shouted, scowling at my carapace.

My heat ray responded, burning a line of blackness between me and him.

"Your race does not possess abilities capable of challenging me."I said in my horrid staccato," Run, and be glad I have other tasks to attend to."

"Not if you don't let Liga go."

Liga squirmed."For Ubixa's sake, don't worry about me, run for it!"

The lynx that stood his ground ran at me, and waved a branch. I blocked it with a tentacle, wrapped a tentacle around both his arms, and lifted him off the ground.

"You are superfluous, leave while you can." I hissed, and the lynx fell back down. Liga shouted.

"I said get away! Tell our com...."

I turned him in my grasp."I did not give you permission to speak, Liga, be silent. Or else I will make you silent."

He stared in mortal terror, I had named him correctly, and there was no doubt I could carry out that threat. He went limp, and refrained from struggling. The other lynxes backed, and ran for it, leaving me with him and the one that had defied me.

Said lynx was scared, but he was loyal to his superior, and he grappled one of my legs, trying to topple me. I swayed back and fired a low setting blast at his back that made him yelp and let go. Liga struggled.

"Don't hurt him!" he shouted, kicking frantically. My red eyes narrowed and focussed on the lynx, and then swivelled back to the one on the ground, who was slowly backing away.

"If you run now, I will not harm you. If you do not, I will ignore your officer's plea." I hissed, and the lynx, while really not wanting to desert Liga, turned and scampered through the bush.

Sergeant Liga was silent, watching his companion dart away, and my tentacles change positions around him so he was not being lifted painfully. One remained wrapped around his chest, one went around both his legs, and the third curled under his armpits, leaving his arms free. I turned and walked towards a deserted area of jungle. My thermo reported a small patch of bushes, and no one else around. It also proved that the lynxes hadn't turned around to mount a rescue for their sergeant. That was good, privacy was required for this.

We got to the bushes, I crashed through a small gap, and set Liga down on the ground against a tree, letting go and looking around to make sure there wasn't anyone about. The nearest creature was Draco, and he was still at the camp. I briefly interlinked with Abigail, she was at the main entrance of the camp, the gate in ruins in front of her, and she was talking with Silverine. Liga sat down, and looked coldly at me.

"What do you want with me, beast?"

I turned to face him, and Liga got a setting one blast on his shoulder. He yipped in pain, and looked hurt, crying silently but trying not to show it.

"Sergeant Liga, while I can understand your terror, there is no call for you to call me names. You know who I am, you just didn't know what."

The sergeant looked up at me, scared and yet amazed, although confused. He didn't know me at all.

"Who are you, then?"

"My name is Alduin, we played soccer yesterday." I disguised myself to look like them and changed into my bionic form. He jumped to his feet, backing against the tree. He now looked even more terrified than when I had picked him up.

"You are nothing like him! He was..."

"...a friendly, right thinking individual who wouldn't harm anyone, and yet played with agility and skill." I finished before he could, and added," However, one thing everyone knows about me is that I can act like a complete bastard when I want to."

Liga tried to climb up the tree without taking his eyes off me or turning around.

"But why?"

"Because I don't like war, and what I did with my friends is ensure that your race learns that it's not a thing to get involved in."

"But why take me away from them?" the lynx asked.

I dropped my disguise, and stood with my hands together, smiling at the lynx.

"Liga, I watching you very carefully yesterday. You know what I saw."

Liga blushed frantically. "I...I..."

I laughed, and he looked down." I knew it. There was too much of you in that glance, you wanted to have sex with me."

The lynx went redder still, and sat back down. I sat next to him.

"I'm sorry about zinging your friend, but I wish to maintain my image as a vicious alien, and the damage was more to his pride than physical. You can say what you will, that I raped you with my tentacles, or that I tortured you, just not that we had proper intercourse, or that I can change forms."

"As if I would." Liga looked down at himself."They would not believe it after what they just saw. How do you have this power?"

"I was not born with it. I have been experimented on by a few races, and generally improved. Touch my skin."

The lynx carefully touched my steel arm, and he caressed it, not believing what he was seeing.

"It's all metal."

"And yet I can feel you touching me." I replied.

Liga was amazed, and even more so with what happened next. I began to strip, and Liga looked uncertainly at me. The lynx wrung his paws together, not knowing quite what to do.

I smiled." So, Liga, do you want to have some sex, or are you too afraid of me?"

An hour later, slightly dishevelled and still tasting his semen in my mouth, I teleported Liga about a kilometre from his headquarters, and then teleported back to Central.Draco was showing Noah around the food store, the lynx was exceptionally impressed with things. I came to outside the food store, and waited until Draco decided to take Noah to Marksman's area to see how good the lynx was with a pistol.

I changed into my Raptor form just as Brendan opened the door, and I was hovering at almost eye level with the dragon. The roar of my jets was stiflingly loud, and he fell back. I spotted Noah, he was looking stunned at me, and as he stood there, I pulled up a scanning device on my glasses, and sent scanning lasers from my wing tips. Noah flinched as his body was covered in a mesh of thick blue lines.

"Name." I said, in my staccato voice.

"Noah Chimaera." he said, not looking at me.

"I see. You are a lynx with powers to transform, how most interesting." I said in that same grating voice,"You have reported to Arachno for your ABM?"

Draco cursed. "No, we haven't Alduin, gosh darn we're bad at remembering this sort of thing." the dragon took the lynx by the shoulders, and I hovered sideways to let them by. I heard Noah ask.

"What is that thing?"

"That thing?" I tried to sound outraged, and Noah turned and paled.

"I, er, I, I mean, creature." the lynx clarified.

"His name's Alduin, he has transformational powers like me and Simba, except with a slightly more vicious streak.A loose cannon in the field, a rogue truant who always gets the job done, he's a scary one." the dragon replied.

"I should think so too." I interrupted, hovering after them at short range," And I would have it no other way.I have frequently obliterated entire armies by myself, and my presence is a chord of fear in the hearts of my foe. Furthermore," I changed into my bionic form and landed directly behind them,"when I'm not being vicious, I'm almost supernaturally nice."

Noah stared, looking at the sudden change."Draco, is he in charge here, he seems so powerful and acts like he's always in control?"

"Alduin isn't Chief Scout, although rumour has it that he's billed as number two. They are justified, even though in reality he is a brittle human."

"That's admittedly true." I nodded.

"He has a habit of trying to impress, I don't know why he bothers, because he's so impressive being himself."

Noah looked back at me as I walked with them.

"Looks can be deceiving, I would not expect this human to be a menace, right until he changed into that hovering thing. Then he looked as though I was already dead, just his patience stood in the way."

"The armament for his Raptor is pretty lethal, I could understand that thought." the dragon replied, and I smiled.

"And as for that comparison, if you're on the wrong side of me, that's how I feel as a base emotion." I clapped Noah on the back."Don't worry, you did great."

"So, Alduin, what was your souvenir from that trip?" Draco asked.

"A strand of barbed wire from the fence." I had it in my backpack," So, Noah, you have been informed of what us two, Simba, Silverine and Abigail have done?"

"I was told by Abigail that you had destroyed the entire camp, is that true?"

"Yes. Not a building left standing.Has Simba reported back, Draco?"

"He mentioned he had come into contact with Toque and Shaw, but he hasn't spoken since. What about you and Liga?"

A sparkle came into my eyes as I told him graphically what had happened, and he laughed. Noah blushed rather redly, hearing how his fellow sergeant had had intercourse, and I noticed it turning to him.

"So what about you and Draco, did you enjoy it?"

"It was, different." the lynx replied tactfully."I have had sex before with others, most noticeably my companion back at my home town, called Manolo, but apart from that no."

"Sounds like an interesting name." I said.

"Interesting name for an interesting character. I love him to bits, and he loves me."

I left them outside the spider's office, and teleported home, putting the strand of barbed wire in my drawer of my cupboard. Ryan Godsey, I was informed, had gone back to the US, I wished him the best of luck, just a pity he chose them as his career, but I wasn't stopping him. Silverine and Abigail were currently on the tech planet, and to be frank I couldn't bear another discussion on ion spark plugs. Brendan was testing his skills around the track in his car, Winslo had skipped back to his home planet.

Orion, well he had gone back to have lessons with the Fire Mistress, and quite frankly I didn't need to visit her because she continued to lecture me on my inability to use the magic I have whenever I visited. It's bad enough trying to cast fire when someone's belittling your talent. Javid had gone back to see Covington, to replenish the ammo for his sniper rifle, and I decided to join him and see how Joanna and Gerard were getting on.

It was getting into early afternoon by the time I arrived there, weaponless and casually dressed. I called up Covington, and spoke pleasantries with the wolf for about a minute before asking where Joanna and Gerard were living. They were living together in Joanna's estate, the female wolf winning the battle of where they would live, seeing as both owned wide expanses of territory.

Gerard was actually in the courtyard, duelling Saphadin with his sabre, and as I had arrived sneakily in the gardens, they were not aware of my presence.

I walked into the courtyard, unseen by the prince, and as Saphadin spotted me, eyes agape, the prince turned with a swinging blow. I brought both arms up, and the sabre crashed straight between them, jamming between my forearms.

"Well met, Gerard, how are you today?" I said, with a huge smile.

"Alduin, it has been a while." Gerard managed to pull the weapon away and sheath it. Saphadin did the same, and we walked through the gardens.

The world had changed. Gerard was the prince of the realm, he did not like the title of king and had just left himself as a prince, and he was ruling with good success. Joanna was his beloved queen, and she was due to give birth to a litter of cubs. Early scans suggested up to four, which was a lucky number to partners. Unfortunately the cubs were thrashing about a bit, which was why, when we actually found Joanna, she was sleeping seraphically next to the fountain, being waited on by two ladies in waiting, and one guard, all quite clearly taking no chances on her majesty's safety.

I did not desire to wake Joanna, all prospective mothers needed their rest, so we talked quietly next to the fountain, about current affairs, they asked me about recent planet trips, and we talked cheerfully about many things. After forty minutes, Joanna awoke. Her wolven eyes flickered uncertainly on me as she blearily focused.

"Good afternoon, Joanna. I hope you are well rested."

"Alduin, isn't it? I thought I recognised the evil smirk."

I chuckled, after the stunt I pulled on her last time I was here I expected no less.

"I hear someone's got some good news, congratulations in advance." I said, and Joanna rolled her eyes.

"That's what everyone says, you must be thrilled, etc., etc. What they don't mention is the four of them are about as liable to thrash about as you are, my sleep patterns have been interrupted so badly I just find rest when I can."

"Yes, that's why we didn't wake you. I do hope you aren't in pain or anything serious."

"No, nothing serious, just they don't realise that my interior is not made for kicking."

I winced. Quadtuplets would be constantly putting weight on her. Her belly was quite rounded, and she felt immensely weary travelling any distance. She had come out to get some fresh air, but hadn't been bothered to make the return journey. So, to a man, me and Gerard ended up helping her back to the house, the female wolf putting an arm over both of our shoulders, and walked delicately in her white full length dress. We had to help her up a flight of stairs to her four poster bedroom,a more luxuriant bedroom I have not seen, and got her on the bed. She lay down, looking tired after this movement, and I gently stroked her back as she lay with her husband next to her.

"So when are they officially due?" I asked, rubbing a hand down her side. She shivered to my alien touch, and responded.

"Next week, and it can't come soon enough." she replied."I don't know how I will cope, honestly, I never understood my mother's complaints until now."

"Well, if it's any consolation, Joanna, most mums are first time mothers, they all have to learn the hard way. Don't forget though, you have advantages. You have a devoted husband for a start, and people waiting on you. Being queen means that many of the difficulties are merely nuisances."

"I also have some friends, who are trying to make me look on the bright side of life. Doubtless I will be grateful for his help, but not when he doesn't understand that all four are fighting at this moment."

Gerard bent down next to her belly, and called out." Don't make me send in our negotiator! Let's settle this in a calm and orderly...oww!" he was not fast enough to dodge Joanna's paw as she hit him on the ear. Joanna laughed.

"Don't be silly, Gerard. You seem to find all this amusing."

"Trust me, I'm a bundle of nerves, dearest." Gerard stroked his wife's leg.

"And I find humour a good way to deal with nerves. Are they still going for each other?"

"Yes, they didn't hear Gerard at all." Joanna smiled.

"Look, you four," I called," if you must fight someone, fight me. Don't annoy your mother." Gerard chuckled, and I received a hefty shove from the grinning female.

"We should call you on as a baby sitter. I can just see their reactions as you arrive."Dad, why doesn't he have fur? Dad, is he edible?"

"Yes, and when you get home, "Dad, how come he's such a freak?" I would make a terrible baby sitter." I shook my head, as Gerard burst out laughing.

"So,"I added," Have you thought of names? Just please don't say you've considered Alduin, that would be terrible news. The poor child would be teased endlessly."

Joanna smiled "It was not a name we had considered, no.It is not a particularly wolven name."

"It's elvish." I added,"I am human, but it has elven roots.Blame my parents for reading Lord of the Rings."

"We have no idea about this book, but we get the message.Traditionally, the first son's middle name is the first name of the father.The middle name of the second son in the middle name of the father, and any more sons then that, you just make it up as you go along."

"If you do want to use Alduin as a middle name, I would be honoured, but don't tell me you did." I smiled, and Joanna laughed again.

"Do you have any suggestions for names, rather than saying don't pick mine?"

"Well, for females, the two I've always liked are Elanor and Sophia, for male surnames, Michael, David and Jonathan are a few popular ones. I don't intend to have children, but I've always wondered what names I would come up with. If you look for fancier names, Electra, Munkustrap, Xavier or Margaret. But then, they are all names from my planet. have they confirmed how many of each you are giving birth to?"

"No, I ordered them not to tell me, although Gerard wanted to know. Is Xavier a male or female name?"

"Predominantly male."

"I like the sound of that, as a middle name. And X is a royal letter by it's own, so it's a good initial." Joanna looked at her husband, who thought on it.

"Xaviar, yes, it is a good name, we shall consider it. Well done, Alduin, it's not every day you name a prince."

"Trust me, the honour's mine. Now I have to go, don't forget to send Javid with the word when it happens."

Joanna smiled."I won't. Javid has been a good friend, even if he does think too much of being a military man, we will give him the message to pass on."

I teleported on the spot, and decided to visit another old pair of friends.

Diamond was much amused. "What part of go away and don't come back didn't you understand, Alduin? You caused far too much trouble last time."

That kind of humour. I enjoy women like this, better than exercise.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm the other Alduin, the devilishly handsome one who doesn't run an inn?"

"You know what I mean!" the striped zebra replied cheekily," We thought you'd forgotten about us."

"No, just eternally busy. Now will Drakon suffer me walking into his cave this time?"

"He was taking a nap last time I saw him, but he won't mind. Why do you look lighter than usual, wait, you're not carrying your weapons. Have you really lost your marbles?"

"Err, this just in, tell me something I didn't know."

"Your wit is yet unchanged, I thought we made an agreement, you stopped the jokes, because you're bad at them."

"No, you made an agreement, I refused to sign on mental grounds." I laughed, and Diamond did too, before giving the come on in gesture and walking in.

Drakon was having a nap, all several metres of him, but he quickly woke when Diamond picked up a gem and dropped it. The noble dragon looked up and around quickly, and spotted Diamond, and then me.

"Ahh, the young trouble maker." he said, fully alert and smiling." What havoc are we wreaking today?"

"Apart from suggesting names for a young wolf prince? None. No I tell a lie, we rescued some hostages today from a planet populated by catlike creatures."

"Always rush, you should settle down and enjoy the luxuries of life. I do." the dragon looked around at his well furnished cavern.

"And after half an hour, I would be screaming bored.I love being challenged, doing something new?"

The news from Diamond and Drakon was fairly interesting. The caravans had started up again, the city was rebuilt, and Diamond was still receiving her tribute for having stopped Drakon. Of course the secret was still safe, and everyone was happy.

"Of course, Drakon still goes for flights over everywhere, but he's quite the gentleman, he'll let everyone take cover inside, and he barely tries to hit the caravans."

"If they want to travel through these lands, they should be prepared to deal with you." I replied. "Besides, I've spent enough time terrifying armies to know that frightening people is a hell of a lot of fun."

"Most fun I've been having lately. Smash one or two carts, cinder a few bushes, frighten the hell out of some drovers, it relieves the monotony."

"If you're prepared to play tag with me, I could help you relieve some more."

"You with your Lightning? I've seen what happens, your rear parts glow white and you disappear into the distance."

"Well, not quite. I have a new form, called a Tripod, and seeing as it's invulnerable to fire and can survive most physical attacks, I thought a game of try and beat the crap out of me is in order."

Drakon laughed." Some people are a glutton for punishment." we went outside, and I changed into my Tripod form. Diamond looked at it critically.

"So you're saying that three legged stilt is the best thing you can come up with?"

I lowered my heat ray to minimum setting, and Diamond yelped as I caught her on the shoulder with the ray."Yes, I am. Come on Drakon, do what you're good at."

The dragon took off, and I wandered off into the plain, taking my uneven steps with Diamond climbing up a couple of rocks for a good view. Drakon got to a height, and then swooped down, breathing a quarrel of fire. The Heat Ray missed him, and I was enveloped in fire for several seconds. I waited for it to settle, and saw I was standing in the middle of a blackened patch of grass.

I continued shooting off my Heat Ray after Drakon, but the dragon flew so quickly, and I was more cumbersome in this form, that it was nearly impossible to hit him.

He came in for a second run, gave a short blast of fire, and then his tail whipped around. The sword point impacted on my steel carapace, and knocked me about five metres sideways. My balance was superb, and I kept upright, turning to fire at the dragon.

This game of unstoppable force vs. immovable object lasted for a good fifteen minutes. My steel body was scorched, blackened, slightly dented and completely unharmed. Drakon had received one level two burst in the leg, and one in the other foot during the entire game, which being a noble dragon shrugged off as you would brush away a mosquito.

He landed, and Diamond came down from her vantage point. The dragon was panting slightly, and he seemed very happy.

"Finally, something that doesn't mind being used as target practice, well played, Alduin."

"Thank you Drakon, I've always wanted to see your tactics, Diamond's comment of you being a prince of dragons is clearly well received."

Diamond blushed, and looked upwards, and Drakon just chuckled, as we walked back inside. I changed into my bionic form, and sat next to Diamond as we ate and drank.

I recorded the latest information on the town on my glasses, sent Tufty an e-mail with said info, and then regrettably had to say goodbye to Diamond and Drakon. The zebra and dragon both were quite glad to welcome me again sometime, and bid me good fortune until then. I teleported outside their cave, and went back to Central.

I went back to my home. What a weekend. A new, and quite capable, scout, more fighting with an entire camp of lynxes, I had been arrested, played football, visited some old friends, and generally mucked around, I needed some sleep. At least my friends around the universe were happy, that's all I could ask for.