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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 34: Thawing

“I’m your boogieman. That’s what I am. I’m here to. Do whatever I can. Be it early mornin’. Late afternoon. Or at mightnight! Aww-it’s never too soon!”

Donnie softly chuckles and glances at Victoria, who shares in his amusement. Sitting at a table together, across the basement from Jose, they watch the doctor and his mate, Audrey. Jose sings along with his radio as he works, a favorite pastime. Audrey seems to enjoy hearing him, watching with a warm smile and bobbing or swaying her head from time to time. For the last twenty-four hours, he’s been constructing something, with only the occasional assistance from his red panda AdvAnimal girl.

“Ooh-ooh-ooh! Ahh-hah! ... Oh, I do so love KC and the Sunshine Band! Hmm... Pardon me, Donnie, but could you check this for me?”

“Sure, doc!”

He jumps up from his seat and makes his way across the basement, eager to see what it is the doctor has been working on. The older man steps aside, allowing the younger and more technically savvy Donnie to examine his work. Using a magnifying lamp, Donnie glances over the soldered wiring in Jose’s new device, a strange box with unmarked buttons, switches and knobs. A long ribbon of wiring runs from the device to an odd headdress, complete with small electrodes and a colorful weaving of wires.

“Wow, these are really clean!” Donnie exclaims in surprise.

“Oh, good!” Jose breathes a sigh of relief. “I was worried I wasn’t doing it right. I’ve only ever seen this done.”

“You’ve never built this before?!”

“No.”

Jose lifts the headdress, and presents it to Audrey.

“Huh... Could’ve fooled me, doc. What is it, anyway?”

“It’s a neurotherapeutic theta-gamma oscillator.” Jose replies, pantomiming the act of fastening the straps.

“... A what?”

“Combined with enhanced electrical impulses, emulated oscillating brainwaves and a mild drug therapy, it should encourage gradual strengthening of the underdeveloped portions of the brain, thereby permanently repairing it and allowing the impulses to flow freely in that portion. Second gens don’t have this particular problem. Something about the fetal development; tank versus womb.”

“I see... And that’ll fix one of those, erm... Flaws?” Donnie asks very carefully.

“... Indeed.” Jose murmurs. “Having trouble, pumpkin?”

“Mmrrmm...” Audrey grumbles, struggling with the hi-tech headdress.

“Just slip the strap through the buckle. If you need, I can make the ear slots a bit bigger.”

“And what’ll happen then?”

Catching himself, Donnie glances over to Victoria, who always stands within arm’s reach. She glances between him and Jose, a worried look on her face.

“What I meant to ask was-”

“You don’t have to correct yourself. I know what you’re asking.” Jose glances back at Donnie and his mare AdvAnimal lover. “You don’t have to baby me.”

“Oh...”

“I know you have questions, and I can tell how hard it’s been for you to hold back.”

“Well, it’s just that after the last time... I just don’t want her kicking my ass again.”

Glancing at the red panda girl, she bites on the tip of her tongue, her head cocked and an eye narrowed as she fiddles with the strap of the strange headgear. An ear, which pokes out through a slit in the fabric cowl, gently flops over. Jose steps closer to her, a warm and somewhat amused smile on his face as he takes hold of the straps for her.

“It’s alright, pumpkin. I’ll do it for you... I understand, Donnie, but I’m fine. There are some things you’re ready to hear and some things I’m ready to say. Unfortunately, those two don’t always line up, but I’m trying.” He speaks with a somber tone, carefully trying to buckle the headdress onto Audrey’s head.

“I appreciate that, and you’re right; it’s been hard as hell for me to not shake the answers out of you.”

“Hmm?!” Audrey looks to Donnie, narrowing her eyes with suspicion.

“I wasn’t gonna...”

“Rrrr...” The red panda growls regardless.

“I’ll tell you what, Donnie... Later on, we can have a talk. I’ll try and tell you everything you want to know.”

“Sure! Whenever you’re ready!” Donnie grins.

“Oh... This buckle doesn’t match this strap! Heh. No wonder you had problems!” Jose’s face flushes from mild embarrassment. “I hope the rest of this is put together right!”

“Mmrrmm...” She grumbles.

“I’m just joking, pumpkin! I was very thorough in sourcing and installing the components; this buckle was just an oversight. You know damn well I’d never risk your safety.” He swiftly retorts.

“Aww!” She flashes a toothy grin and then steals a kiss.

“I love you, pumpkin.” He kisses her back and nuzzles the soft fur of her snout.

“Mmm!” She coos, nuzzling him with her nose and reciprocating his affections.

“Give me a minute to fix it, then, if you want, we can test it out...”

“Mhm!” She nods, the hi-tech headdress softly rattling.

“I could really use more lab space, though. Are they any closer to finding us some place suitable?” Jose glances back at Donnie.

“It’s only been three days, doc! I mean, we just busted you out!” Donnie chuckles. “But yeah. Connor found a place that might work. I think he’s going to check it out this afternoon.”

“Good!” Jose chirps, carefully pulling off Audrey’s headdress and taking it to the nearby workbench. “Now, so long as we don’t have any power cuts, we should be able to do a five-minute test. If that works out, then we can do a one-hour session... Could you pass me the pills? I’d like to ready your first dose, just in case it all goes well.”

Audrey obeys, eagerly aiding her mate as he works on the unusual contraption. As Jose works and Audrey watches, Donnie and Victoria are left standing in the background. After a moment, Donnie clears his throat, tapping his fingers against a leg.

“Well... Hmm... I guess, uh... I guess we’ll leave you to it, doc.” He remarks, turning to Victoria and resting a hand on the small of her back. “Come on, Vicky. I’m sure we can find something to do.” He winks, before glancing upstairs

“Ooh!” Her eyes light up and she clasps her hands together.

Making their way upstairs, they enter the lounge area and stop in their tracks, taken by a surprising sight. With her arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Samara wears a perpetual snarl. She’s not often the happiest looking person, her interactions with Connor being one of the few things that bring her obvious joy. Oftentimes, her expressions straddle the line between suspicion and apathy, with the somewhat routine, lustful gazes thrown in, when she wants her mate’s attention. Now, however, even he doesn’t bring her pleasure. What bothers the tough and alert Commando?

Standing in the middle of the room and tended to by Amanda, Samara wears a dress! Sitting on the small couch in the far corner of the lounge area, far behind the workstations, Connor stares with his mouth agape. His wide eyes slowly scan her curvy figure, while Amanda checks the fitting of the dress.

“Yeah, I was right. She’s about my size, so this fits surprisingly well.” She remarks.

“I’ll say.” Connor coos.

“Might have to make an alteration here and there, though. Could you lift your arms?” Amanda asks the cat AdvAnimal.

“Hmph!” Samara rolls her eyes and turns her head away.

“Oh, come on, babe! It’s not that bad.”

“Rrrr...”

“You don’t really want to go out in that hot-ass, skin tight bodysuit, do you?” He retorts.

“Mhm!” She vigorously nods her head.

“And be a security risk?” He raises an eyebrow.

“...”

“Like I said, it’s not that bad, and if you really want to come with me for this viewing, it’s the only way. Try and manage it, for me.”

With an exasperated sigh, Samara gives in. With her furry arms falling to her sides, she forces a grin and then lifts her arms, allowing Amanda to continue.

“Hmm... It’s a little loose back here. Maybe if I pull and pin it like this?” Amanda thinks aloud, pulling the dress tight against Samara’s body.

“Oh, yeah! That’s nice!” Connor chirps, as the dress suddenly clings to Samara’s bust, which pops upward with noticeable cleavage.

“Ahem... About ready to go?” Donnie interrupts.

“Almost.” Connor replies, his eyes never leaving his mate’s body.

“They’ve been at this for nearly a half an hour.” Louis remarks, typing away as he sits at his workstation.

“You’d better get out of here and get to that viewing. Don’t fuck this up; you two can get back to it once the deal’s done.” Donnie sternly instructs.

“Alright, alright! Ready to go, babe?” Connor grumbles as he gets up from the couch.

“Mm-mm.” She shakes her head ‘no’.

“Well, we’re about out of time. You look beautiful, and not like a Black Ops assassin or classy jewel thief.”

“Mmrrmm...” She grumbles.

“Babe! ... Alright, how’s this? I promise, I won’t make you wear it unless we have to go out, okay?”

“Mmm!” She flashes a warm smile.

“There’s that beautiful smile.” Connor grins, taking the feline AdvAnimal by the hand. “Alright, guys. We’ll be back.”

“Good luck!” Louis exclaims.

“Don’t blow our cover and whatnot.” Donnie adds.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll be fi-”

Opening the front door, Connor stops mid-sentence as he sees a man approaching from the far end of their empty driveway. Wearing a UPS uniform and pulling a dolly with two boxes, one somewhat large and the other very large, he looks down at an electronic device clutched in his other hand. Hastily removing herself from the foyer, Samara ducks behind the archway leading to the living room. She reaches beneath her dress and between her legs, retrieving her SCCY pistol, which she’d hidden in a special holster strapped to her thigh.

She keeps out of sight, but her stance and Connor’s sudden silence alerts everyone else. Mackenzie rises from her chair beside Louis and moves toward the window. Moving the curtains aside with a claw, making a gap barely an inch wide, she carefully takes a peek.

“What is it?” Louis asks.

“Can I help you?” Connor begins.

“Oh, hi! I’ve got some packages for a ‘Louis Jagger’. Is that you?”

“Oh!” Louis jumps up from his seat. “I was hoping those would arrive soon!”

Flying past Connor, Samara furls her brow and lowers her pistol, watching from around the corner as the blond-haired human signs for the stack of packages.

“This stuff’s pretty heavy.” The burly UPS man remarks.

“It’s a weight set, plus some whey protein.”

“Uh-huh...” The UPS man subdues a grin, his eyes scanning the scrawny Louis.

“... What?”

“Nothing! Here you go!” The UPS man chirps, skillfully pulling the dolly from beneath the stack without shifting a single box. “Good luck, Sticks.”

With his job done, the delivery man dashes back to his big, brown truck and races inside, off to deliver the next box to whoever.

“... Asshole.” Louis grumbles.

As the step-van drives away, Louis is left with two big boxes a dozen meters from the porch. As he prepares to lift up the smaller of the two, he can hear his friends and their AdvAnimal lovers exiting the building. No one is driving down the road, so, for the moment, the coast is clear.

“A weight lifting set, huh?” Donnie smirks, emerging from the doorway.

“What made you buy all that stuff? And why the hell did you have it sent here?!” Connor asks, scratching his head.

“Oh, no reason!” Louis replies, glancing over to Mackenzie, who stands on the porch, watching him with an innocent little smile. “I figured we’re moving out, anyway, so... Fuck it!”

“Dude... You swore!” Connor gasps, cracking an amused grin.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Well, I guess that makes sense. It’s not like we’re going to be here much longer, anyway... Need a hand with those?” Donnie asks.

“No. I got this!” Louis confidently replies.

He takes a deep breath, bends his knees and squats down, readying to pick up the smaller box. As soon as he lifts, he can feel the intense pressure in his head. Why is it so heavy?!

“HHNNNNNN!!! ... HHNNNNNNAHH! ... Heh... Um... Could you guys maybe, uhm... Give me a hand?” Louis nervously chuckles, his face flushing.

“Yeah, okay.” A smirking Donnie replies.

Making his way toward the scrawny, pale man, Donnie and Victoria each grab a box. Donnie grunts as he lifts the smaller box, rolling it in his arms. It’s only now that Louis can see some print on the box that reads ‘150 LBS’ while the box underneath it, the largest and which contains a complete, disassembled exercise machine, reads ‘300 LBS’.

“Man... That delivery guy must be ripped under that uniform.” Donnie remarks, turning toward the steps.

Victoria lifts the massive box with the exercise machine as if it were nothing, and she doesn’t even make a sound. Walking past her mate, she glances down at Donnie, who looks nervously at the steps as he decides how best to make his was back inside. With a little smile on her face, she cradles the large box, scoops the smaller box from her lover’s arms, places it atop the large box and then carries the entire payload inside with ease.

“Damn... I’ve got my work cut out for me...” Louis murmurs.

“Remind me never to argue with you.” Donnie chuckles, watching his lover as she dashes up the stairs, her hooves clopping loudly on the wooden steps.

“Hehe!”

With everyone back inside, Connor and Samara prepare to leave. Taking out her special phone, Samara texts Alessandra, who is upstairs with her mate, Jack. After only a moment of waiting, Jack jogs down the steps, slipping on his rocker vest, while the red salamander hybrid follows closely behind, adjusting her top to sit comfortably beneath her ample breasts.

“Sorry about that! We were, uh... Anyway! I think you’ll be alright with this one.” Jack pulls out a set of car keys. “I’d prefer you use the van but with all the packing we’ve got to do, we should keep it here and what’s with those huge boxes in the living room?!” His sentence immediately alters course.

“Oh, that’s just Louis’ new weight set.” Connor smirks.

“... ‘Kay... Well, be careful with my baby!”

“Hmm?!” Alessandra furls her brow and cocks her head.

“I meant the car.” He smirks, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. “I’d never let anyone take you for a spin.”

“Mmm!”

“You’re all mine.” Jack adds, softly kissing her neck. “Oh, and don’t pull a Martin while you’re out!” He suddenly turns to Connor. “We’ve got enough on our plate as it is.”

“We’ll be fine! Quit worrying!”

With keys in-hand, Connor and Samara make their way outside and into the old, multi-car garage in the backyard. To their surprise, Jack is letting them use his 1978 Ford Mustang II Cobra, one of his first and most prized collectable vehicles, second only to his 1930 Ford Model A Roadster. Within minutes, the couple find themselves driving out of their small Indiana town and toward the nearby Kentucky border. It’s a calm and peaceful drive, and Samara, who rarely leaves the house, looks quite pleased, regularly glancing over at her mate and smiling.

After taking highway 135 south to highway 79, they eventually arrive at their destination, the outskirts of Hardinsburg, Kentucky. The small town is in an ideal location, relatively centralized and with access to many major highways, as well as having a low population and a home rule class governance, giving the wealthy “businessmen” a leg up. The added tax revenue alone guarantees that The Four Horsemen will have the mayor and the civil servants in their back pockets.

Pulling into the lot, the wheels crunch atop the chipping asphalt and displaced pebbles. Connor marvels at the sight of the structure before him, a multi-level complex of sixteen-thousand square feet, which takes up a third of the acre lot it sits on. Though it could use some TLC, with faded, tan paint and kudzu vines growing up one corner, spreading like wildfire, it already seems perfect. The structure gazes back with small, blocky windows, tinted with the dust of neglect, as if begging to be restored.

Exiting the black car with gold, orange and red stripes, Connor walks slowly around the vintage Mustang, his eyes fixated on the building. Making his way around the front end, he approaches his mate, who stands as still as a statue, at the passenger’s side of the sporty car.

“Wow... This place is awesome! I wonder what the inside looks like! Hey, babe, do you see the realtor lady around here? ... Babe?!”

Glancing over, Connor is stunned by the look on Samara’s face. With her head bowed, she appears to stare at her own body, her lips curled into a visible frown. Did she even look at the building?

“Hey, what’s wrong? Samara?”

“Mmrrmm...” She whimpers.

“Samara... Sammy...” He speaks sweetly.

She swiftly lifts her head. He almost never calls her that, except for special circumstances; he knows it’ll get her attention. Reaching out a hand, he caresses her furry cheek. Her sorrow seems to lift, but only just. Placing her hand over his, she closes her eyes and turns her head, gently nuzzling his hand before giving his palm a soft kiss.

“Are you alright, Sammy?” He persists.

“... Mhm...” She slowly nods her head.

“Come on. What’s wrong? You can tell me, you know. You can tell me anything! I love you, Samara; I’m your mate, essentially your husband, and I’ll always be there for you. I promise, so long as I draw breath, I’ll be right beside you.” He speaks softly and with sincerity, his thumb stroking the soft, dark grey fur of her cheek.

“Aww! Mmrrmm...” She coos and then whimpers.

After taking a moment to think on it, she eventually nods her head, brings up her special phone and types out her message, turning her phone over for him to read.

“I don’t feel comfortable. I feel out of place.” The message says.

“Is it because we’re out on our own, without back-up? I know you wanted to bring more guns... Is it because of this new and strange place or because we didn’t get a chance to scout it out first?”

“No. It’s this dress.”

“... Seriously?!” He raises his eyebrows in surprise.

With a heavy sigh, she begins to type. On and on she types, her claws clicking the tactile keys as she drafts an exceedingly long message. After a little while, she hands her phone to him.

“When I was barely a juvenile, I was trained to be a soldier. I spent years in training, and when I took the trials I scored moderately well, so I was made a Commando. I was told that, upon the commencement of Phases One and Two, that I would be allowed to be Welcomed into a civilian’s home, so that I could make him my mate. Until then, I was made a security officer. I was even allowed into a base where I could see human males, to become accustomed to them. It was an experiment, to see how I would cope. I was always watched, and while I desired those men and wanted to have one as a mate, I always felt different.

I felt like a warrior, a destroyer, not a woman who might one day be a man’s mate, his lover and a mother to his children. Something in my training has changed me. The woman I was before my trials, she was altered or erased. I’m a soldier, and I don’t feel comfortable in the clothes of a woman. I feel undeserving, like I’m putting on a costume. Vicky, Audrey, Alie and even Macky, they are all far more feminine than I am. I didn’t even earn my mate! I conquered you as a soldier does! I’m not worthy to wear such a beautiful and elegant dress.”

“Sammy!” Connor gasps, looking up and into her eyes. “That’s not true! In fact, that’s all a big load of horseshit!”

“Hmm?!” She cocks her head, her eyes sad and her brow softened.

“You’re every bit the woman they are, and just because you had training to beat their asses doesn’t make you any less feminine. You didn’t ‘conquer’ me, either... I mean, you kind of did, but I wanted it! I saw you that first day and thought ‘that’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!’ You’re so shapely, so attractive, but you’re more than that! You’ve got a good heart, a soft and inviting warmth that drew me in like a fly to one of those bug zapper things... When you came on to me in the study and pushed me down onto that day bed, I didn’t fight you. The truth is, I was too scared to make a move myself; you made it easy for me to have the woman I always wanted... You deserve to wear that dress.”

“Aww!!!”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Samara clings to her smaller human lover, squeezing him tightly and nuzzling his face. He rubs her back and kisses her cheek, inching his way along her snout and toward her lips. Soon, their lips fuse together and the couple share a familiar passion. It’s easy to forget where they are as they share kiss after kiss after kiss. Samara’s ears perk and she pulls her head away, glancing down the lonely road and alerting her mate to the red SUV that swiftly approaches.

Turning the corner and passing through the opened gate, the late model Ford Escape pulls into the old, asphalt lot. Parking a short distance from their vehicle, an older and somewhat large woman hops out.

“Sorry, I’m late! It’s been a crazy day! You must be Mr. Tully, right?!” She exuberantly asks, sticking her head out of the opened door.

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Oh, good! Hi! I’m Heather, your realtor!” She exclaims, stepping out.

“A pleasure to meet you.”

Connor merely bows his head to her. He’s learned well from watching his friends’ girls and from private conversations with his own mate; it’s not wise to touch other women, however benign it may be.

“That’s quite the car you have there!” She boasts. “My husband would just love you! Haha!”

“Thanks. It’s a real classic, huh?”

“Yeah! And I see you have yourself a darlin’ AdvAnimal, too!” She chirps. “What’s this lovely lady’s name?!”

“This is Samara. Samara Tully. She’s my one and only.”

“Oh... I see...”

Samara’s big, sapphire eyes grow wide. She’d always hoped that he’d claim her, and while he does it often, in front of his friends and the already paired girls, this is the first opportunity they’ve had for him to prove his love for her to a stranger. He didn’t disappoint. The realtor clears her throat, visibly discomforted by his admission of his relationship to the non-human. Connor, however, takes it a step further. Slipping an arm around her waist, he pulls her closer. With her clawed hands resting on his shoulders, Samara gazes down at her mate, who steals a long and passionate kiss. He doesn’t hold back, as if showing off for the realtor.

“Ahem... Well, uhm... Perhaps I’d better unlock those doors, huh?!”

“That’d be nice.” Connor grins, staring into Samara’s eyes.

Removing the chain from the building’s front doors, which are made of heavy-duty steel, Heather shows them around the old facility, explaining its history and function. On the outskirts of Hardinsburg, the cinderblock building is a former workshop and warehouse for a clothier business now several years into bankruptcy. The owner defaulted, leaving it as a somewhat rundown foreclosure. Nothing has been touched since its abandonment, with an old, propane powered forklift and a few crates of undelivered clothing still stacked in the main warehouse.

However, it’s just about perfect for their needs. As a former clothing manufacturer, it comes complete with high-grade power lines and industrial level hardware. A locker room contains space for up to forty employees, while a shower room with partitioned stalls can be used by ten at a time. It has a kitchen, a break room and an indoor storm shelter, which would work wonderfully as Jose’s new lab, and the old work areas, which are already partitioned into segments for the varying stages of manufacturing clothes, could be converted into modest living spaces.

After a nearly hour-long tour of the facility, Connor and Samara find themselves at the loading docks, which contains three doors for semi-trucks, as well as a fourth door with a ramp, to be used by vans. The size of the docking bay is such that all of the group’s cars, motorcycles and even their surveillance van could fit inside of it, and moving would be made easy with the use of a rented semi-trailer.

“I know it needs a bit of work, but for a young entrepreneur, it’s just the thing! I know a contractor who does metal roofing cheap, and there’s a good construction firm that can make alterations, big or small! I can give you their numbers!” Heather continues.

“What was the price again?”

“Six-hundred-thousand and some change, but I’m sure we could negotiate that with the bank!” She hastily adds, as if worried she’ll lose her customer.

“Eh... Sounds fair!”

“... Really?!”

With a raised eyebrow, Heather glances around at the cobweb and rust covered structure, parts of which even have plant growth creeping inside. Overall, it hasn’t seen proper maintenance since she wore a size six dress.

“Yeah. We have the capital.”

“Uh... That’s great! What did you say your company did again?!”

“Research and development.” Connor coolly replies, glancing back at the realtor. “We specialize in computer software.”

“No wonder you have that kind of money to flush down the, er, I mean to spend on a building! ... Can I tell them you’re making an offer?!”

“Yeah. List price, and we can pay in cash.”

“... Okay!”

“We’d like to move in right away and start setting up, if that’s possible.”

“Sure!!!”

Grinning from cheek to cheek, Heather races off to place a phone call. She’s giddy with excitement, giggling to herself as she makes her way down the old, eerie halls.

“God, I love the rich eccentrics!” Her voice echoes from the end of the corridor.

“That’s going to be quite the commission.” Connor softly chuckles.

Turning to face his mate, Connor is surprised to see that Samara isn’t within arm’s reach! Approaching a stack of old, wooden crates, each about one meter squared, Samara examines them very closely. Connor clears his throat but she doesn’t even glance back at him. Placing her clawed hands atop the lid of a crate, she suddenly jumps and pushes herself up. Standing atop the crate, she turns toward another and performs a running jump. He watches in awe as she vaults herself nearly ten feet, landing gracefully atop the other crate.

She turns toward a stack of two crates, runs and jumps, only to land on the edge. Her large, paw-like feet push herself up, her toe-claws making a little scraping sound as she scrambles over the wood. She turns, jumps toward a nearby office, a small, single-story room built inside of the loading dock and which acted as the driver check-in. She lands on the wall, being sure not to step on the flimsy tile ceiling. With arms outstretched, she walks along the beam like a tightrope, only to turn and jump.

He gulps, as there’s no crate in front of her! She leaps nearly a dozen feet through the air and grabs onto an I-beam that serves to support the metal roof, only to swing from the beam, which is nearly twenty feet above the ground. Flying through the air and toward a stack of three crates, she performs a backflip before landing atop the stack. She doesn’t even stumble. With a cocky smirk, she looks down at her mate, who claps his hands and cheers her on. After blowing him a kiss, Samara bows to her audience.

Suddenly, the wooden boards creak, and seconds after landing her dangerous jump, the top of the old crate gives way. Crash! Connor jumps as Samara suddenly falls inside, landing with a softened thump, a plume of tan dust shrouding the stack of wooden boxes. As the dust settles, Connor tries not to laugh; Samara’s ears poke out of the top crate. He can see them shifting as she looks around inside of the large box.

“... Babe? Are you okay?” He finally asks.

A clawed hand emerges from within; his mate holds up a thumb.

“Okay... Want to come down, now?”

Poking her head up, the feline AdvAnimal is covered in dust and random articles of women’s clothing, all of which are still wrapped in the original plastic. Placing her hands on the edge of the crate, Connor tries to warn her against jumping out, but his mate moves too quickly. She leaps over the edge and falls nearly ten feet, only to land gracefully on the smooth, concrete floor. Her footpads plop and her claws click as she lands in a squatting position, her tail extended behind her.

“Are you alright?!” He dashes up to her, checking her for injuries.

“Mhm!” She smiles and nods, brushing the dust from her fur and her dress.

“Thank God! ... Wow, babe. That was something!” He exclaims.

Taking out her phone from a little pocket sewn into the dress, she slides it open and types a brief message.

“Do I still deserve to wear this dress?”

“Of course!” He chirps, grinning from cheek to cheek. “But a light blue tank top and some khaki booty shorts would also be fitting.”

She smiles and rolls her eyes, then hugs and kisses her mate. As they nuzzle each other, Connor glances around at the dock. Heather still hasn’t returned.

“Hmm... This place is great and all, but...”

“Hmm?” Samara pulls back and looks down at her mate.

“I don’t think we could move in right away. The time it’s going to take to fix this place up, it’ll be too late, if we stay at the manor. We couldn’t possibly hide you girls while a construction crew are busy working; even if we bought trailers to stash on the lot, we’d probably get caught.” He thinks aloud.

“Mhm...” She nods her head, somberly agreeing with him.

“What we need is another house. Something move-in ready...”

Turning her head, Samara focuses her attention on the end of the long corridor. Moments later, Heather comes into view, still on the phone with the bank.

“Alright!” She chirps, slipping her phone into her purse. “If you want to pay cash, we can close the deal whenever you’re ready, though if you want to do it today, it’ll take them a few hours to get the paperwork together! I don’t think they were expecting it to sell like this!” She chuckles.

“That’s fine... You know, as I was looking this place over, I realized that it might take a while before it’s ready for use. I’m not too fond of living in a trailer and I’d like to relocate, anyway. You wouldn’t happen to know of any homes for sale, would you? Maybe a nice five or six bedroom?”

“Uhh, yeah! I know of a few places!” A stunned Heather replies. “Actually, there’s a real nice home that just went up on the market not too long ago! It’s a county over, but it’s not too far, and it sounds like it might be just the place you’re looking for!”

“Bedrooms?”

“Six, I think, and four bathrooms! Plus, a large basement and an attic!”

“In a gated community?”

“Nope! It’s all by itself, on a ten-acre plot! I think it used to be a farmhouse or something!” She chirps.

“Sounds promising!”

“It’s... Kind of expensive, though...” She murmurs.

“Money isn’t an issue.” He chuckles. “Think we could check it out?”

“... Are you serious?” Heather blinks, her mouth agape.

With an arm still around Samara’s slender waist, Connor reaches into his pocket and retrieves the car keys. Heather’s lips contort into a massive grin as she giggles. Whether it’s from excitement or shock is hard to tell. With that, the human and his AdvAnimal lover follow Heather back outside and climb into their vehicles. Setting up her GPS, she pokes her head out of the window and chirps for them to follow her. Turning the key to the ignition, the classic Mustang II Cobra roars to life. Turning to Samara, who buckles her seatbelt, Connor leans in and steals a kiss.

“Mmm!” She coos, nuzzling his face with her short, feline snout.

“I love you, babe. See? It’s all coming together... Man, I bet the guys are going to be real surprised when we finally report back!” He smirks, buckling his seatbelt.

Setting down another stack of boxes, Jack winces and rests his hands on his back, which he promptly stretches. Donnie groans as he drops his own payload, two exceedingly heavy Pelican cases full of valuable electrical equipment. Victoria, however, drops a crate full of several hundred pounds of tools, all without breaking a sweat.

“I’m never going to forgive Martin for this shit... I don’t remember it being such a chore to move into this place!” Jack remarks.

“That was a long time ago, and you’re an old man now.” Donnie quips.

“What’re you talking about? We’re only about five years from forty! We’re not even halfway to the finish line!”

“Glass half-full, huh?” Donnie smirks.

“I like to think of it as a sunny disposition.” Jack grins.

“I don’t remember you having that. A crappy sense of humor but...” Louis remarks, typing away at his workstation, which is the only one still operational.

“Yeah, well... Things change.” Jack murmurs, glancing at Alessandra.

Without the expertise to help, Alessandra sits with Mackenzie, who’s already done her part, dismantling hers and Connor’s workstations in preparation for their move. They take a break from moving boxes, and the mouse girl uses her special phone to text with the red salamander hybrid, something they often do. Of all the AdvAnimals in their house, Alessandra is closest to Mackenzie.

“So, why is it just us doing this?” Jack turns to Donnie and Victoria.

“Well, Jose and Audrey are packing up their equipment downstairs, and Amanda is helping them.” Donnie replies.

“Adrian could help, at least. This is man’s work, right?”

“Mmrrmm!” Victoria whimpers.

“Hey, what about Vicky?!” Donnie snaps.

“That’s different. She’s Ms. Universe, so she gets a pass.” Jack replies, eying Victoria’s exceptionally buxom and curvy figure. “Or should I say ‘Mrs. Universe’?” He smirks, turning to Donnie.

“That second one.” Donnie grins, slipping an arm around his mate’s waist and pulling her closer. “She’s very spoken for.”

“Mmm!” She coos, resting her hands on his shoulders and nuzzling the top of his head.

“Besides, Adrian’s busy hounding Amanda.” Donnie adds.

“That guy never quits.” Jack laughs.

Knock, knock, knock! Cautiously opening the front door, a surprised Donnie finds Martin and Camilla standing outside. They’ve dropped by unannounced. He promptly lets them in. Martin shuffles his feet as he makes his way inside, his eyes scanning the piles of boxes and equipment in the main hall, living room and lounge area.

“Hi...”

“Hey, Marty.” Donnie murmurs.

“You’re uh... You’re really going through with this move, huh?”

“Not really much choice, is there?” Louis replies from his workstation.

“... I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble, guys.”

“It’s alright, Marty...” Jack mutters, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“No, it’s not. I just really wanted to prove my love to Cammy.”

“You already took her into your sweet-ass penthouse after he broke her out of Red Base.” Donnie remarks, pointing a thumb at Jack. “As far as I can tell, you’ve been loyal to her, too. How much more proof does she need?”

“You don’t understand...” Martin sighs, running his fingers through his hair. “I shared things with her. Me and Cammy, we’ve had long, deep conversations. I’ve never been so honest with a woman before, and I never felt like a woman was so interested in me, either. I told her all about my background, about my youthful indiscretions, my womanizing and about how miserable I was during all of it... She wasn’t even the least bit surprised!”

“About which part?” Jack scoffs.

Stepping closer, Camilla stands behind her mate and to his right, her head cocked as she scans his features with her big, emerald eyes. She drapes her arms over his neck and nuzzles his cheek with her snout, drawing his attention. He turns his head only for her to steal a kiss and smile. Though he seems to perk up a bit, he still looks unusually melancholy. She doesn’t like to see her mate so sad, and continues to nuzzle him, her tall and pointy, elf-like ears swaying as she turns her head.

“I love you, too, hun...” He speaks softly, a hand gently caressing her forearms, which rest on his chest. “Anyway, after sharing all of that, I worried that she thought I was a dog, you know? I didn’t want her to worry that, in a few years, I’d get tired of her and go looking for new pussy. I didn’t want her to think that I’d ever cheat on her. What she and I have, it’s what I’ve always wanted. I did what I did because... I wanted her to know that I was all-in. I wanted to do something extra special, so she’d never have a doubt in her mind that I’m hers and she’s mine and nothing would ever change that.”

“Mmm!” Camilla coos, kissing his cheek again and again.

“I get it. I really do. It’s just...” Donnie sighs.

“Let’s just drop it, okay? We’ve got work to do.” Jack murmurs.

“Well, it worked out for you.” Louis suddenly speaks up.

“Huh?” Martin turns to him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I just finished a deep hack of your local government’s website and database...” Louis begins, turning his chair around to face the others. “Someone at city hall rubber stamped your marriage license. It’s approved.”

“Seriously?!”

“You’ll get it in the mail in a few days. Congratulations to you and the missis.” Louis continues.

“Holy shit!” Martin chuckles, grinning from cheek to cheek. “I didn’t think they’d do it! That’s awesome!!!”

“MMM!” Camilla coos loudly, her long, thick and tapering tail swishing happily through the air.

“Did they even check her credentials?! I mean, her papers are forged!” Donnie gasps.

“It doesn’t look like it, though we should still take the appropriate precautions.” Louis replies.

Martin turns around and rests his hands on Camilla’s broad hips. With his nose against the tip of her snout, they gaze longingly into each other’s eyes, only for him to cock his head and give her a passionate kiss on her lips. Their tongues briefly entwine and her clawed hands grip his biceps, giving him a firm squeeze.

“Well, I, for one, feel better. How about you, hun?”

“Mhm!” She nods, then nuzzles his face with her snout.

“Oversight or not, it behooves us to change things up.” Donnie interjects.

“Hmm?!” Victoria glances down at her hooves.

“It’s a figure of speech, sweetheart.” He chuckles, reaching out and rubbing the small of her back.

“Then I guess I should get to why we even came over. I set up those shell accounts with my alternate IDs. It’s ready for you guys to move your money, then you can swap it to new Swiss accounts; it won’t be traceable back to me or my firm. To anyone on the outside, it’ll look like it simply vanished.”

“Thanks, Marty. You’re the best, man.” Donnie flashes a little smile, patting Martin on the back.

“Yeah, yeah... It’s not easy moving hundreds of millions of dollars, though, so you might want to get on it... Like, right now.” Martin adds.

“I can get started, if you guys want.” Louis offers.

“Sure. That’s probably a good idea, actually.” Jack nods. “Though, there’s something I wanted to ask you, Marty.”

“Yeah?”

“I get why you wanted to prove your love for her and all but... Well... We’ve got our girls, too. We all know how they are. They’re like crazy glue.”

“You don’t say...” Martin murmurs as Camilla clings to him.

“She’ll never let you out of her sight, let along give you a chance to cheat on her. Did you really need to go and apply for a marriage license?”

“Yeah, well...” Martin turns to his mate. “It’s different when you want to comfort the mother of your child.”

Everyone and everything stop. Even the clocks seem to cease ticking. With eyes wide, they all stare at Martin and Camilla. Even Louis slowly turns his chair around, staring in shock at the abrupt revelation.

“You... You mean?!” Donnie chokes out.

“She’s pregnant... We found out right before I applied for the license.”

“Didn’t you take precautions?!” Jack gasps.

“No. I mean, we did, at first, but the truth is, we didn’t really want to. After I took her virginity, she explained everything; how serious of a thing it is for a female to give herself to a man and become his mate... We grew closer and closer, and we talked about it... Having a family, I mean... After I used up the condoms I had, we decided to go for it.”

Taking her hands in his, Martin weaves their fingers together and kisses her so lovingly and with such passion that it shocks his friends almost as much as learning of her pregnancy.

“I’m getting older, guys. Maybe it’s different for all of you, but the older I get, the more I want a quiet life. I wake up in that big, fancy penthouse and all I think about is how I’d much rather be living in a small, peaceful town, waking up next to my beautiful wife, playing with my kids and enjoying that white picket fence life. I mean, we’re all independently wealthy, thanks to years of stock market manipulation, so why not retire? Why not treat myself to the one thing I’ve always wanted and never had?”

The air is still and the silence deafening. It’s almost as if everyone, even those who’re downstairs, have stopped what they were doing to hear Martin out. Jack and Donnie glance at each other, then to their mates, while Louis gets up from his chair and promptly sits beside Mackenzie, on the sofa behind the workstations. Alessandra rises from her seat on the sofa and makes her way toward Jack, who’s only a few meters away. Victoria steps closer to Donnie and drapes her arms over him as she stands with her bust against his shoulders. He cannot help but reach up and caress the soft, silky fur covering her forearms.

Donnie looks up while Victoria looks down; the pair share a kiss. Jack hugs Alessandra tightly, burying his nose in her neck and softly kissing her crimson flesh. Mackenzie leans against Louis, who kisses her cheek and rests a hand on her flat belly, his fingers gently rubbing her. Each man holds or caresses their mate, silently confirming to their women that, if they could, they’d do just as Martin had done; they’d build the very same family life that he desires. It’s a long, quiet moment of passion and pensiveness. Before anything else can be said, a satellite phone rings.

“Hello.” Donnie answers the phone.

“Hey, guys!” Connor chirps. “How’s it going?!”

“Good. Did you get the new lab space?”

“Oh, I got it, all right! I got something else, too...”

“Like what?”

“Some bonus property... Hey, when do you guys think we’ll be ready to move?!”

Glancing over to Jack, who still embraces Alessandra, Donnie holds up the phone.

“If we bust ass, maybe tomorrow night?” Jack guesses.

“Sweet! Keep packing! I’m gonna rent a truck!” Connor chirps.

“Oh, joy...” Jack sighs.

Abruptly ending the call, the others are left wondering. However, rather than waste time, they decide to keep working. Martin and Camilla show themselves out and return home, to their penthouse in Indianapolis. He parks the car and walks hand-in-hand with his AdvAnimal lover, who’s greeted by his few neighbors as they make their way toward the service elevator. He can hardly remember the names of a few of these neighbors. Only now, after passing these strangers, and after seeing the fear and anxiety of his friends and their lovers, does Martin worry that he hasn’t been cautious enough.

Immediately upon entering the penthouse, through the elevator entrance, Martin unbuttons his shirt and loosens the cuffs. Camilla follows her usual routine and pulls off her top before pushing down her capri pants and panties. Glancing back at Martin, she wiggles her buttocks and lifts her tail, displaying her womanhood as she slips them off. Stepping out of them, she lets out a sigh of relief as she prances about their penthouse in the nude, tossing her clothing onto the backrest of a couch as she moves through the living room and into their kitchen.

Martin watches her, noting her feminine form, her elegant curves and appealing shapes. She’s plump yet perky in all of the right places. Even the soft thumps of her digitigrade feet, and the swaying of her long, thick but tapering tail draw him in. Oh, how he loves her! Not just for her body, which is superb, but for her heart and mind. He gulps, fearful of losing the only thing he has that makes his life truly worth living. Taking a seat on the couch, he kicks off his shoes and leans back, looking at her clothes before picking them up and examining them.

He can hear Camilla mixing drinks in the kitchen, only for the thumping of her feet to grow steadily louder. Suddenly, a clawed hand extends over his shoulder, presenting him with a mojito, his favorite alcoholic beverage. She even garnished it with a sprig of mint.

“Thanks, hun...” He murmurs as he takes hold of the glass.

Moving around the couch, she stands before him, a familiar smile on her face. With a hand on a hip, which juts out to one side, she holds her own mixed drink, a screwdriver. She takes a sip then sets it onto the nearby end table, leaning so close that her ample breasts, free from artificial coverings, brush his face. Martin sets his drink beside hers, just as she turns around and backs up, her tail swishing through the air. With her butt briefly in his face, she teases him as she slowly sits atop his lap, her hands on his knees.

He knows what she’s doing. Alcohol has a particular effect on his mate, and she enjoys using it to his advantage. With her butt on his lap, she wiggles it back and forth, and from side to side, grinding against him.

“Mmmmm...” She coos, leaning back and against his chest.

“Hi, there.” He speaks softly, into a pointy, elf-like ear.

“Hmm!” She coos again, glancing back at him.

With a twisted smile, she leans to one side, giving her room to kiss him. As their lips meet, she spreads a leg, draping it over his, while a clawed hand skillfully unbuckles and then removes his belt. She tosses it to the floor, only to place her hand over her groin, prepping herself for a moment of passion. However, it isn’t long before she notices that Martin isn’t performing his usual routine. Why isn’t he fondling her mammaries? Why isn’t he kissing her neck? Is he alright?! Pulling back, she cocks her head and examines his facial features, then gazes into his eyes.

“I’m sorry, hun. I’m just... ... I want to!”

“Mmrrmm!” She whimpers, obviously eager for sex.

“You know that I can’t live without you, right?” He suddenly begins.

“Mhm!” She smiles and nods.

“And you know that I love you more than life itself, and I’ll love our son or daughter, too, right?” He asks, gently rubbing her toned belly.

“Hehe! Mhm!” She giggles and nods again.

Glancing over to her clothes, she leans forward and collects her capri pants, retrieving her own special cell phone. Louis had made her one, shortly after she was freed by Jack from Red Base. She’d been using it faithfully to have long conversations with Martin, before he ever took her virginity and became her mate.

“You are a wonderful male, a caring and protective mate and a spectacular lover! I couldn’t have dreamt of a better man, and before I had you, before I was freed, all I could do was dream. I’m just as excited to give you a son or daughter, and I hope to give you many more.” Her message reads.

“Then will you trust me?”

“I ONLY trust you!” Her message insists.

“Good... I think we should move... I mean right away! Maybe even tonight! What do you think, hun?”

“Where you go, I’ll go. Where you live, I’ll live. You are my mate, and I’ll follow you anywhere.” Her message reads.

“Thanks, Cammy. I’m so lucky to have a woman like you in my life.” He grins from cheek to cheek, his arms slithering around her waist.

“Mmm!” She coos, then types. “Can we still make love?” Her message asks.

“Heh... Of course, babe. We can pack when we wake up.” He coos, kissing her cheek and fondling one of her ample breasts.

“MMM!” She loudly groans, her eyes closing, head tilting back and arms wrapping around his neck.

Meanwhile, at their new office in the barely operation AMO-1, Agent Sharpe and Krystal relax on a loveseat. They’d spent hours supervising the installation of new equipment and issuing orders to the latest recruits, fresh from a training program. Krystal, who’s continued her treatment as if it was a duty, has been of great help to him, issuing orders for him while he continues filing the copious amounts of paperwork. She leans back, her head resting on a nicely padded armrest, while her furry legs stretch across her partner’s lap. Her large, paw-like feet dangle over the other armrest.

She softly moans as her partner, her mate and the father of her unborn child, lovingly massages her footpads. He’s such a powerful and intimidating figure, but when she has him alone, he’s nothing but kind, loving and affectionate. He treats her with such care, and expresses feelings that often leave her breathless. Opening her icy blue eyes, she gazes down at her mate, smiling from cheek to cheek.

“Ooohhh... Mmm-mmmhmm!”

“You like that, sugar?”

“Mmhhmm... You’re so good at that, Danny.” She coos.

“Heh...”

“What? You don’t like that nickname?!” She asks, lifting her head.

“No, I do. It’s just... Hearing you talk. You’ve got that deep, motherly voice. It’s so soothing.”

“Aww! Don’t turn to mush just yet. We’re still on duty.” She flashes a toothy grin and winks.

“We’ve done a lot worse while on duty. Remember how we break in each new desk?” He winks back.

“Mmm... We haven’t christened this office, yet.” She coos, a clawed hand ever so slowly hiking up her tightly fitting black dress.

“We’ve got another thirty minutes in our break...”

“Only thirty minutes?! ... Well, hubby, do you think you can finish that quick?” She teases, smirking and biting on the tip of her tongue.

“I can certainly try, wifey!” He chuckles.

“Good enough for me! Just make sure I can walk to the car afterward.” She chirps, swiftly getting up from the loveseat and bending over his desk.

“No promises, sugar.” He shakes his head, his hands unbuckling his belt as he stands to his feet.

“Mmmm...” She coos, her thumbs slipped underneath her skirt and hooking her panties. “That’s what I like to hear.”

Just as she’s about to slip them off, her ears twitch.

“Oh, damn...” She grumbles.

Seconds later, a young, female staffer knocks on the door to their office. With a frustrated sigh, Agent Sharpe cracks his neck and then puts on his mirrored sunglasses.

“Enter.” He speaks in a cold monotone.

The doorknob turns and the woman peeks her head inside. Sitting at his desk, back straight and hands clasped together, Agent Sharpe is as still as a statue. His neck doesn’t even appear to have a pulse! His AdvAnimal partner sits directly beside him, leaning back in her chair and with her feet resting on the corner of his desk. Krystal tends to her claws with an emery board, glancing at the intruding woman with obvious annoyance.

“I-I’m sorry, sir! It’s just, uhm! ... Well!”

“Yes?”

Without utter a single word, the staffer makes her way toward them. Standing before his desk, she places a stack of papers before him and slides them closer.

“You know how we weren’t fully prepared to start monitoring for Phase Two?” She begins.

“...”

“Right... Well, D2C has been doing a lot of our job for us, until we can get up and running. That’s why this took longer than usual.”

“What took longer than usual?” He asks in a cold, soulless voice.

“Th-this report... Sir... S-someone requested a marriage license. It’s for a man named Martin Foster, who lives in Indianapolis. Mr. Foster is trying to marry his AdvAnimal, sir.”

“This has been known to happen, ever since the first case.” Agent Sharpe dryly replies.

“Yes, sir, b-but, uhm, the thing is... Well... The people at Indianapolis city hall stamped it as approved, but they didn’t even bother to check the AdvAnimal’s credentials. Our people at D2C read the report after it was automatically pulled by our computer. They searched her information only to find nothing, so they did a thorough search and matched her up and... Well... She’s a rogue, sir.”

“What?!” Agent Sharpe struggles to hide his surprise. “... Are you certain?”

“Yes, sir... She’s ‘Camilla’, a Type-Z taken from Red Base several months earlier. W-we did some further investigating and checked the records and tapes of her escape. We matched the face of the man she fled with. We don’t have him on file, unfortunately, but he was seen... Breaking Dr. Chavez out of our hospital...”

Agent Sharpe is flabbergasted. Even the staffer can see the shock on his face. Glancing at the report, Krystal also recognizes the man in the screenshot from the security cameras. The man who leaves with both Camilla and Alessandra is a familiar face; they’d seen him in a photograph with Alessandra a short time later, driving the now abandoned Chevrolet El Camino.

“Get out...”

“Sir?”

“Get. Out... I’ll contact you as soon as I have orders.”

“Yes, sir!” She exclaims before dashing out of the room.

The staffer moves so fast, she fails to properly shut his office door, running away as if for her very life. Krystal, realizing the gravity of the situation, does it for her. She bolts from her seat, closes and locks the door and turns toward her partner. Rising from his seat, Agent Sharpe moves around his desk, slowly and in visible shock. His unbuckled belt smacks the corner of his desk as he approaches her. Eager to comfort her mate, Krystal steps into his arms, slipping hers around his torso and resting her chin on his shoulder as she gives him a squeeze.

“Danny...” She coos, nuzzling his face.

With his arms around her, he places a hand on the back of her head, just beneath her flared out ponytail. He kisses her cheek and nuzzles her. She can feel him trembling.

“What’re we going to do?” She whispers into his ear. “We buried this once, but he’s appeared again.”

“I know.” He whispers back, still nuzzling her face.

“I’m with you, Danny. You’re my husband.” She assures him.

“I know, sugar. I just don’t want to risk my wife or our baby...”

“What about Mr. Nazarov and the others?”

“They said I should do whatever it takes to regain his favor...”

“Is that the right move?”

“I think so... I just can’t risk losing you. I couldn’t stand it. You’re all I have in the world.” He gives her a firm squeeze as he speaks.

“Aww, Danny!” She coos, then kisses his cheek. “You’re never going to lose me.”

“Not after I do what must be done... I don’t think I can bury it this time...” He says with a heavy sigh.

“Okay...” She pulls back so that she can look him in the eyes. “Tell me what you want to do.”

“Let them know that I need all of the information they can get on this ‘Martin Foster’ character. I’ll organize a strike team... We’re going to lead it.”

“Yes, sir.” Krystal coos.

“Hopefully, bringing him a missing Type-Z and the people who have her will help me get back in with him.”

“Why did they lock them all up, anyway? What’s wrong with them?” She quietly asks, cocking her head.

“I don’t know the details. Something about their regenerative capabilities... The Old Man thought that a second gen Type-Z might naturally evolve out of... Those flaws...”

“Oh...” Her expression changes as she glances to her feet.

“He only allowed a public statement saying they could be Welcomed as a smokescreen; in case they were seen in public, they needed a cover. They’ve refused to release a single one since Welcoming began.” He continues.

“Then if we get them, he’ll be happy. Happy enough to meet with us again.”

“Maybe... So, do you want to hop to it, sugar?” Agent Sharpe smirks and gives her buttocks a little smack.

“Ooh! Mmm-yes, sir.” She jumps, then coos.

After giving his cheek a sensual lick, she slips out of his arms, unlocks his office and makes her way down the hall. As she carries out her orders, Agent Sharpe turns toward his desk. He stops, glances down at his unbuckled belt and then buckles it. They likely won’t have time to christen this desk, not until after their mission, at least...