FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Into The Stars

Chapter Four

By Roofles

Intense chapter

“First thing, first." Isaac had gone down to get their food, bringing it back up to the room. Something that took great convincing on his part; even still, Typhon had followed him all the way down to the last steps of the stairs.

Isaac nearly fell over at just how blatantly obvious the saberwolf was being, the two trying to keep on the down low for their stay. It was why Isaac insisted on going alone; the saberwolf was having none of it. Isaac instantly spotted Typhon trying to hide around the corner, peeking around it to make sure Isaac was still there. His pointed dark blue tip ears were still visible as he hid again as Isaac just stared at the conspicuous wolf.

“Got to be freaking kidding me…" Isaac sighed for two reasons. The fact he was practically babysitting this blue fur alien wolf at this point, and the fact Typhon was his charge. The idea of Typhon taking care of him back on Saber worried Isaac to no end.

The human shuddered at the very thought of it, afraid the saberwolf didn't even know how to dress himself at this point. Isaac had to even help him with the jumpsuit Typhon had on back in the ship.

“We need security passes. If we're found out without them…" Isaac didn't want to think about the type of prison cell they'd have in a mining facility like this. He just shook his head, shuddering at the very thought. Being trapped in a bed with the wolf was bad enough; a prison cell with him? Well, he was worried what might happen because of this saberwolf.

Or what he might end up doing to the saberwolf; most likely strangling him to death with the bed sheets.

Though Isaac didn't bring it up, waking up half naked in the jumper of a blue fur alien wolf was a first. He was sweaty, hot and yet somehow cool at the same time. It was like lying in a bed of heated sea grass, without the water. Cool and refreshing as it flowed around him as if moving in a gentle breeze. Typhon's fur was soft to the touch and flowed as if it wasn't affected by the planets gravity. It tickled his nose and, even a good hour later, was making Isaac blush.

And it smelled like after a summer thunderstorm…

“What?" Typhon just asked, smirking. He was smiling ever since the two of them had woken up together. Tail wagging lazily behind him as he crouched in front of the human that was going over their game plan.

“It's nothing…" Isaac mumbled trying to think where a terminal would be in a facility like this. He had never been to one before or seen the schematics for such a place. Never thinking he'd need to know how some backwater planets mining facility worked.

Ironically, if he had a terminal to begin with he could just download the layout for the place into his tablet and find a terminal that way.

“You liked it." Typhon black bumpy lips curled in a wicked grin as he smiled at the human he was sitting in front of, tail swaying lazily behind him. “You liked snuggling with me." Typhon pressed making the whole humans face turn red.

“I did not!" Isaac said loudly, only admitting he did enjoy snuggling with the wolf that morning. The saberwolf was muscular and yet soft to the touch, his fur was warm and the smell reminded him of his childhood on Zeta Seven.

The thunderstorms were frequent on the gas planet. After each one the air would be filled with this damp energy, smelling of ozone. Something that the wolf reminded him of these past two days. His old home, a place he could never return too.

And a family lost…

“You're blushing…" Typhon just continued to grin toothily. The shifting blue fur wolf was beaming as happy as a puppy at this point. His black nose twitched and he could smell the human's embarrassment. “You. Liked. It." Typhon licked over one of his saber fangs with an ever widening smile.

His tongue was a strange dark blue that seemed to glow in the right light.

“I can't help it!" Isaac blurted out. “You smell nice!"

That took the wolf aback and he was the one blushing now. Typhon chuckled lightly, looking away from the human as he scratched his cheek with a clawed finger. His tail never stopped wagging as his ears splayed out.

“I-I do?" The saberwolf chuckled lightly at that, his heart beating faster.

“You just have this strange crisp smell that… and then your fur and it's like…" Isaac covered his face. It was so soft! He had been practically groping the alien wolf's chest all morning. “We're getting off topic!"

“But I like this topic!" Typhon barked a laugh. “What about it smells so nice?" The saberwolf asked, laying on his side, propping his large head up with one arm and looking at the smaller male before him. The two sitting out on the floor as if this were a sleepover and they were just gossiping girls.“Tell me allll about it."

Isaac waved it off before it could inflate Typhon's ego anymore. “It's not you."

“I'm pretty sure it is my fur," Typhon played with his expose chest fuzz with his other hand. The bland white jumper he had on had been zipped open that morning to free Isaac. Typhon saw no reason to zip it back up.

“No, no. Not that." Isaac chuckled lightly, blushing faintly. “See… you just… just smell like home…"

Typhon's smug smile was instantly replaced with a sheepish one.The saberwolf's ears splayed back at that, tail tucking slightly. “H-home?" He stammered out trying to remain cool. He might as well have been sweating bullets it was so obvious just how nervous Typhon had become.

“Back on Zeta Seven, one of our planetary systems… there were these massive thunderstorms. They'd come out of nowhere and you'd be stuck inside all day." Isaac paused reminiscing about it. “We had a farm there growing up. After the storms rolled through there was this smell in the air. It felt alive with energy and just…" Isaac trialed off.

Typhon ear batted at that.

“That was a long time ago, before I was accepted into the Flight Academy." Isaac shook his head, shook the thoughts away as he looked to the side.

Typhon could smell the conflicting emotions going through the Terran. Happiness, longing and sadness. It was the last one that made the wolf's ears perk up. A distinct scent he had smelled from Isaac many times before already.

The smell of fear.

“I remind you of home, huh?" Typhon just teased the thought over thinking far more into it than Isaac was. His words pulled the Terran back from wherever his thoughts had taken him.

The human just looked back out the open window, smelling the breeze that drafted through the room. It was nothing like back on Zeta Seven. Those were some of the best days of his life. Isaac didn't even notice the damp wetness running down his left eye until Typhon wiped it away with a finger.

Isaac flinched at the touch.

“You'll like it on Saber…" Typhon said, misreading what Isaac was thinking. “It'll be your new home." The saberwolf sat up, helping Isaac to his feet. Embracing the human in a tight hug and promptly pressed Isaac's face against his furry chest. “It'll smell like home…" Typhon's chest rumbled with the pleasant growl as he ended up squeezing the human right against that sound, picking him up and nuzzling down at him the next second.

In a way, it was comforting. Isaac returned the hug before letting the subject drop as Typhon set him back down carefully.

The two worked over the game plan relatively quickly, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. Typhon's ears perked up and Isaac found himself feeling rather naked without his sidearm, wishing he'd grabbed it from the ship. Typhoon seemed to be having the same thought process as the two eyed the open window.

“Marshal, open up." The voice from the other side spoke up. Continuing quickly before either of the two could decide what to do. “I know you're in there. Don't try anything, please." And the man groaned loudly with a low growl. “I really don't want to have to chase you both…"

Isaac froze at that, beginning to sweat as he thought over what to do. He'd never been in trouble with the law before and now he was about to go to jail. Typhoon looked ready for a fight as the door unlocked and swung open.

“I did knock," the coyote tipped his hat up with one finger, the other on the trigger as he drew his gun on the two inside the room. “Pardon the intrusion…" The marshal began taking a single step forward, his boots clicking with the sound as the spurs spun.

With a vest, some sort of dark leather pants and cowboy boots the coyote strode into the room. His sleek gray revolver never strayed far from the wolf, the marshal assessing he'd be the only real threat out of the two. Looking around the room, the coyote kicked the door closed. Spinning the gun around, the canine holstered it at his side. His hand never straying far from it.

“Good, just the three of us then." The coyote chuckled lightly, with a friendly air.

Typhon was about to pounce on the man when Isaac step forward, between the two.

“How may we help you, sir?" Isaac said respectfully with a smile.

The marshal took a second at that, evaluating the Terran before him. Average build. Average size. Average almost to a fault. Save for that eye; an artificial implant. Something Terran's seemed to favor. It was nothing to be too concerned about; it wasn't one of the enhancement implants Juke had come acrossed before. Giving him a quick once over, then at the wolf next to him and then back.

The wolf stuck out like a sore thumb being literally black and blue. His fur shifted colors in the light and it was hard to tell what single color it was.

“Pardon the intrusion," the marshal began again. “Didn't mean to interrupt you two lovers…"

“We're not…" Isaac face palmed at that.

“Seriously, the next person to say something about that I'm going to rip in two!" Typhon growled low.

“Not if I don't get to them first!" Isaac turned away from the coyote. “Going to strangle them with the bed sheets!"

“Just hold them while I," Typhon gestured punching their gut as the two nearly forgot about the marshal still looking at them.

With a bark of a laugh the coyote drew their attention back. “Well, if you do go and do that. Please try not to do it on my watch," the coyote tipped his hat up with a snort. “I didn't realize this was one of those elicit love affairs. We don't usually get them down here on Xi."

The coyote marshal had a visor on. Isaac's eye reacted to it and the two just gave each other a knowing look; the device could scan someone over without them even being aware of it. When the coyote had managed to do that to either of them…

“This morning." Isaac covered his face with a groan. He knew Typhon was being too obvious with trying to be sneaky! It had given the two away instantly.

“Xi?" Typhon quirked his head at that, not seeming to realize he was the very reason why the marshal was in there room. Isaac was already plotting several ways to strangle the wolf with the bedsheets and make it look like an accident...

“Xi is a planetary system within the Xi galaxy. Though…" Isaac took a second trying to remember his academy training. “It should be Xi'toss… Planet number four in the system," he counted out on his fingers. “Xi is just the galaxy, toss is the number assigned to it. Like the Zeta galaxy I'm from, I'm from Zeta Seven. The Seventh planet in the system." Isaac went over feeling like a teacher at this point as Typhon practically took a seat to listen to his explanation.

The saberwolf literally taking a seat on the floor with open legs as he nodded along with the human.

“That's so complicated!" The wolf whined loudly at the end.

“No. No it's not… the system was created to make things LESS complicated." Isaac shook his head. “It's just the galaxy with a number attached to it. Though the number is dependent on the system… Not all languages use one, two, three after all."

“History lesson aside, I'm here to see you two boys about a job." The marshal cut in making the two exchange a look.

“A… job…?" Isaac hesitated on that. He was sure the marshal was going to cuff the two of them. Isaac already had one cuff on his right arm; he didn't need a matching pair.

“Yeah, you came on that merc ship that crashed on the loading bay, right?" The coyote chuckled at that. “Was quite an entrance!" The canine's sandy brown, black tip tail wagged. “Nothing interesting happens on this hunk of space rock. You two stand out like, well…" The coyote just looked the dark blue spacewolf over. “That." He finished with bluntly just shrugging at the larger canine.

Typhon snorted at that. “I'm not the one who stands out. Everyone else stands out!" The blue fur canine began to argue. Isaac cut him off, not about to go into that.

Every time Typhon got worked up his blue fur would begin to glow, emitting light and energy crackled between the strands of fur. Isaac didn't want to see what that meant and was busy playing peacekeeper.

“You want to hire us for what?" Isaac dared to ask, taking the focus away from the fact they had illegally commandeered the ship and then promptly crashed it into a planet without even the authority to land there. “Ah, I'm Isaac by the way." The human offered his hand.

“Pleasure." The coyote tipped his hat down, taking it and giving it a shake. The two gripped each other's wrists instead of the hands themselves; depending on the species and race, it wasn't possible to shake everyone's hand. Thus wrist shaking was the polite form to use instead. “They call me Juke."

Typhon just grumbled, looking away as he crossed his arms at their greeting. The two ignored the wolf, though Isaac did introduce the marshal to his space companion.

“There's a bit of an issue down in there mines, see." Juke continued. “We don't 'xactly got no military here. The fat cats above don't give two cow shits about us lot down on this piss poor excuse for a colony. That said, we got to handle our own situation." The coyote shook his head. “These folk are simple miners. They don't got two brains cells amongst the lot of them!" Juke laughed, shaking his head with a sad smile. “As dense and thick as the rocks they mine…"

“You still haven't said what the issue is here…" Isaac just frowned noting how Juke had gone over everything save for what they needed to do.

“I also haven't mentioned that neither of you two boys got any documentation here, either." Juke lip curled up to flash Isaac a pair of grimy tobacco stained fangs. Typhon growled low at that, taking a step forward. “O' course if you boys help with this issue, I think I might be able to wrangle you both up somethin'. Or other…" Juke tipped his visor down to smile at the Terran, still ignoring the wolf to their side.

Isaac stopped Typhon from ripping the coyote's head from his shoulders.

“If he's here, he prob let his second know about it already. You do anything to him, we're both dead men." Isaac kept his voice low as he laid out the situation for Typhon. The saberwolf took a moment on that, glaring at the coyote before looking back at Isaac.

“What do we do then…?" Typhon finally just asked. His lip twitched in anger but his blue and black eyes like miniature galaxies pleaded for help on the matter. If he wasn't allowed to punch something, he wasn't sure what else to do about an issue.

His inexperience showing once more.

“You boys take the job, o' course!" Juke slung an arm around Isaac's shoulders and patted the saberwolf on his arm. Typhon literally snapped at his hand. Juke had pulled it back just at the last second not to lose a finger. “We can figure out those nitty gritty details after." The coyote chuckled uneasily.

Juke had worked with bounty hunters, mercenaries and even hired guns in his day. This was something else though.

“Before." Isaac brushed the coyote's arm off looking at the older male. Juke had graying fur around his muzzle; then again, that could be how he naturally looked. It was hard to tell his age. “We'll agree to whatever this is, after we get the clearance…"

The two gave each other a good hard stare.

“If you're desperate enough to come to us it means one of two things." Isaac just lay out. “One: This is going to be a dangerous mission no one else wanted to take and we're expendable. Or two: the issue needs to stay under wraps and you some hired guns that are just passing through and won't be a bother after…"

Juke gave him a once over, a bark of a laugh and then a slap on the back.

“Why not both?" The coyote gave him a wink before pulling back as the saberwolf snapped at him. Spittle flew in the air and Isaac had to wipe his cheek off. “Fine, fine. No skin off my tail." The coyote just shrugged as he spun around on his boot and headed towards the door. “You coming cutie or do you want me to lasso ya first?"

“Har, har." Isaac rolled his eyes following. “I come from a farming planet. You think that's the first time I heard that before?"

“I didn't hear a no." Juke gave him a wink, holding the door open before smirking at the saberwolf who looked as if he were really about to rip the coyote apart now. “You got yourself a cute one, try not to break him ya hear? Or at least not on my watch," Juke laughed as he followed behind Isaac closing the door on Typhon.

“I'll break something…" Typhon grumbled as he followed after the two nearly punching his way through the door. Electricity sparked in his blue fur.

“We'll first scan you both into the system to make sure your not wanted criminals…" Juke brought up as if asking the question without directly asking it.

“I'm squeaky clean." Isaac shrugged, a part of him hoping Typhon wouldn't be as he glanced back at the canine. It would be awfully convenient if the saberwolf had a record and would be imprisoned for it. That way Isaac wouldn't have to lift a single finger about his would-be kidnapper.

Typhon smiled back at him. Wagging his tail as his ears perked up at being noticed by the human. Typhon even waved at him.

Isaac found himself hesitating, if only for a second. For such a large, imposing figure Typhon was nothing more than a kid in the end it seemed.

The wolf continued to smile at him with the simplest of looks that Isaac could only feel guilt for trying to lock the canine up. Like sending a new puppy one had just gotten back to the pound the next day.

“I'm pretty sure he'll be fine…" Isaac just sighed with a shake of his head, hoping he wasn't about to get cold feet over what he had in mind. The two just followed after the marshal without a word.

Getting clearance for the station was easy enough once the marshal flashed his badge. After a quick photo op, the three were making their way down the side of the canyon in a small elevator. They descended lower and lower; Isaac could look up through the glass to see where their landing pad was at even. Spotting it mostly because it was the only one with a hole in it.

“We get plenty of vagabonds around this here parts." Juke started up, answering Isaac's unasked question. That or just to fill the silence. Isaac too guilt ridden to speak and Typhon having pressed his face against the glass elevator to look out at the red rocky canyon they were descending into.

The saberwolf licked over the glass, growling as he looked from one side to another smearing the window in front of the other two. Juke just gagged at the smear marks while Isaac tried not to laugh about it.

“With the space trucks, the trading posts and countless different nations coming through our parts…" Juke shrugged, looking away from Typhon. “It's not that strange to fast order some passes for those willing to work in the sulfur mines."

The two gave him a look at that, even Typhon pulled his snout off the glass to look over at the coyote.

“I'm kidding!" The coyote yipped another laugh, with a shake of his head. It was almost a squeaky sound from the canine. “You fly boys are so easy to get!"

“I'm originally a farm boy." Isaac rested back against the wall looking at him.

“Really?" Typhon was the one to get interested.

“Ain't no city slicker, that's for sure." Juke spat something brown to the side. Typhon wrinkled his nose from the smell.

“Zeta Seven was a farming planet. Vast golden wheat fields as far as the eye could see. I mentioned this earlier," Isaac rolled his eyes. Seeing he was getting their attention still he pulled out his tablet, scrolling through the photos as he continued. “It was one of the largest in our system. A beautiful, peaceful place. Fields as far as the eye could see."

Isaac turned the tablet around to show the two the golden fields.

“Enriched, hybrid engineering that hasn't been replicated since." Isaac turned the picture around, looking at the field of yellow before him. His focus trained on the farm house near the back, his old home. “It was a marvel, a testament to what mankind could bring to the stars…"

An accomplishment that had allowed the Terran's to join the Galactic Front. Showing off their agricultural skills to a group that prided itself on its peaceful ways. The military might of the Armada couldn't sway them but a simple planet reserved for the sole purpose of nurturing and cultivating life to feed their people had.

It was the last and only picture Isaac had of the home he'd grown up in.

Typhon ears lowered back.

“Hey, no crying on my shift. For fuck sake…" Juke turned away, looking out the window as Isaac brushed his cheek off. The human let out a breath, took another and stashed the tablet back at his side as he closed the picture away.

Not able to look at it any longer.

“Right. What's the plan then?" Isaac voice hardened as he pushed such thoughts away. “What job did you hire us for?" Typhon walked over and to the human surprise, the large saberwolf nuzzled against his face with his cheek. The whiskers brushing over Isaac's face making his nose wrinkle.

“We kick down the doors and talk them out of their little strike and hope they play nice." The marshal checked his gun, clicking the chamber closed and tucked the revolver back into its holster. The coyote was staring at the window down into the canyon.

There were several tents and makeshift wooden houses that had been built along the cleft in the planets surface. Hundreds and hundreds of such buildings lined the walls, lined the different levels and covered the canyon floor. Houses the miners rarely used, most their days taken up with working underneath the red planet's surface.

“Kick whose door in and talk to whom, exactly?" Isaac pet over Typhon's face as the saberwolf crouched down to get on level with the smaller male. It felt nice, scratching him like an overgrown puppy as he was. Isaac rubbed behind one ear with his fingers then over that thick neck, letting his fingers slide through the fur along it.

“The miners." Juke glanced back at the two, only to roll his eyes and look back out the window. “Don't go kissing a man behind another man's back. That's just rude."

Isaac just chuckled at that as Typhon bumped his muzzle against Isaac again, resting it on his chest and looking up at him.

“You going to be ok?" Typhon growled the words.

“I've done field work before. Sort of…" Isaac chuckled lightly. Typhon quirked an eyebrow at that. “I've done field training and like the obstacle course at the academy…"

“Did you cheat through that too?" The saberwolf's eyes narrow on the human at that, the low growl rising in the small elevator.

“You can't exactly cheat in performance tests… mostly…" Isaac quickly shook his head at the growl he got for that. “I didn't though! I totally didn't hack into my drill sergeant's computer and manually change my grades… and flunked that fucker Jayce out of the program…" Isaac mumbled darkly under his breath. “Push me into the mud pit? Fine, go back to your mud farm for the rest of your life you sack of…"

Typhon just frowned as he looked up at the human.

“We're here." Juke said loudly interrupting anything else Isaac was about to say further. “Just keep you're head on, gun close and you'll do fine." The coyote walked out. While the marshal was packing a revolver at his side, a rifle over his back and two hidden side arms the other two were left empty handed.

“You didn't give us guns!" Isaac quickly followed after with Typhon walking on all four behind them.

The canyon floor was as hard as the rocky walls themselves. The red stone had a powdery substance to them, Juke kicking up the red dust as he walked ahead of the two. Isaac stopped at that, Typhon pausing with him. Touching the collar of his flight suit, a bubble formed over Isaac's lower face like a transparent mask.

“That's so… neat!" Typhon jumped to his feet trying to poke at the bubble. Isaac swatted his hand away.

“You got one too." Isaac pointed at the jumper's collar. Typhon tried to look down at it, unable too with his muzzle in the way. “It's a Tigeron jumpsuit. It should work for you…" Isaac motioned and Typhon knelt down so the human could fuss with the collar. Finding the button, Isaac activated the mask for the saberwolf.

His sabers like fangs were poking out of the bottom of it.

“I'm sure that's fine… heh…" Isaac just looked at the twin fangs, up close and personal like this still holding the collar of Typhon's suit. They were longer than his whole head and almost as wide as an arm. Isaac let it go, stepping back away from the dangerous predator he'd just been petting.

“You want to touch one?" Typhon grinned.

“No, thank you." Isaac rolled his eyes at the offer while secretly wanting too.

“Everyone wants too." Typhon wiggled his brow at him.

“I'm good, Typhon."

“Touch me already!" Typhon barked at him with a laugh seeing Isaac cover his face at that and quickly walked away. “I know you want too! I'm right here, out in the open, just a saberwolf, trying to get a Terran, to touch my hard bone."

“I don't know him!" Isaac called loudly around them at the miners watching the two; the human covering his face with a hand and picking up his speed in pure embarassment. Typhon easily kept up with him.

The further they went the denser the population of miners grew. Most were just sitting around, talking with one another until they spotted the trio walking amongst their midsts. Badgers glared at them, rabbits moved away and several skunks even turned their back to them; making Isaac quickly pick up his pace. He really rather not get skunked.

Isaac had to grab the saberwolf's ear and pull him along, stopping the canine from angering the skunks any further than they already were. It was as if Typhon didn't realize what was about to happen if he kept that up. You don't anger a skunk unless you want to get a face full of something nasty.

“Don't you dare!" Isaac warned as he practically dragged the canine along with him. “We just need to figure out how to stop their strike and get them working again. Then we can get the hell out of here…"

“What's a strike?" Typhon just asked not even seeming to mind all the angry men glaring in their direction now. Several of them had laser edged pickaxes while others picked up their shovels.

“It's a refusal to work, basically." Isaac just shrugged. “I mean they are in the right after all!" The Terran said far louder than needed to communicate to the saberwolf. “Mismanagement, dangerous working conditions, not enough pay, no benefits-," Isaac went on trying to boost their credibility amongst the disgruntled workers.

Only for the saberwolf to ruin it.

“On Saber we would have them all executed." Typhon just said with a shrug. No concern or worry about it. Several angry mutters rose up at that.

“That's… barbaric." Isaac face fell. He really did not want to end up on this planet.

“We haven't had a strike for centuries though." Typhon countered with.

“I assume you don't even have unions then, huh?" Isaac frowned at that. The look he got made him explain. “A group of disgruntled workers uniting against their employer basically…"

“Oh, no. Not at all." Typhon laughed at that as he walked along with the human.

“What about like workmans comp? Maternity leave? Benefits? Health insurance? Insurance in general!" Isaac stammered out at the end. “Most of us join the military because of all the benefits we get for ourselves and family."

“No, not really. Everyone sort of gets everything equally. As long as you do your job and work," Typhon snarled at a pair of moles that gave them a rude gesture. “We don't have any of this nonsense." The blue fur wolf waved at the lot.

“What about disabilities? Or injuries? Or…" Isaac voice shook as he shuddered at the thought of such a place. He heard about these backwater worlds before; for some reason he thought Saber would be far more civilized.

Like Tigeron was.

“Hm?" Typhon gave him a look. “Oh! Such weakness is removed from the pack." Typhon chuckled darkly missing the look on the human's face.

Isaac couldn't keep up and fell behind, making the saberwolf stop to look back at him.

“Did you sprain your ankle?" Typhon snorted with a laugh taking a step back over to help Isaac, offering a hand.

“And if I did? Would you put me down too?" Isaac just glared back, slapping the hand out of his face.

“W-what? No. That's not…" Typhon's ears folded back as the human shoved his way past.

Typhon just watched the human go, unable to understand what the issue was. He could smell Isaac's anger and understood the Terran was mad at him. He just couldn't understand why.

“I wouldn't do that to you!" Typhon tried to explain, catching up to him on all fours. The saberwolf walked at his side, Isaac ignored him. “You wouldn't have to worry about such things. You'd be taken care of and loved and fed and…" The saberwolf stammered out quickly.

“I shouldn't worry that anyone I met there could be put down for spraining an ankle?" Isaac laughed at the idea. There were some alien customs he couldn't stand.

“Well, no. Not over a sprain." Typhon eased up, hoping that was the only concern the Terran had about this. That this was just some sort of miscommunication between the two. “Only those who can't fight or recover or desert us… If you have no value to the tribe or are defective then-,"

“Just stop!" Isaac gripped his artificial arm with his other hand, looking away. “Just. Stop. Let's focus on this mission. Get this over with..."

Typhon muzzle dipped at that, shoulder's slouching as he lowered his whole head. “Ok, Isaac. We'll… we'll talk about this later, then."

Isaac didn't answer as he caught up to the coyote waiting outside the tunnel entrance. A simple hole in the red rock with twin electric lit lanterns out from. It was large enough for a badger to walk through and would allow the three to easily head inside, save for the blockade on it. It was boarded off with several slabs of metal slabs bolted over the entrance like planks of wood. Juke ducked underneath one, crawled over another and slipped inside.

“We might need to remove these for your companion there." Juke spoke up as Isaac slipped inside far easier than the larger coyote had.

There was a squealing sound as metal bent, bolts ripped out of the stone work as the large saberwolf made his own way through. Typhon grabbed one of the metal planks and with a loud snarl pulled it out. He tossed it to the side before proceeding with another two, only then could he get inside with the others.

“Well… that works too." Juke joked, trying to ease the tension in the air between the two. “He's very capable."

Isaac didn't say anything as he pulled out the tablet from his side. He held it up to the map on the wall and scanned the barcode over, downloading it to the tablet. Isaac quickly opened it up on the screen. Typhon stayed to the side, just snorting angrily as his fur seemed to spark with electricity in anger.

“Right…" Juke grumbled pulling his hat down over his eyes as he headed forward. “We just need to talk to the foreman and get him to listen to reason."

“Reason? After what the Corp did to us you expect us to be reasonable!" A ground squirrel piped up to their side. The three barely registered the disgruntled worker keeping watch at the entrance.

Within the entrance was an alcove where several had taken watch. Planning on blocking the entrance from any would be intruders. They smelled of ale and smoke, clearly not expecting anyone to actually drop by.

“We just want a day off work!" A mole spoke up behind the squirrel, lazing out on a cushion with a pipe in his hand. It was hard to tell if the mole was looking at them or not.

Like the other moles, his claws had been rebuilt on his very fingers. Instead of nails, there were miniature drills that could break apart even the dense rock formations around them. The pink star like nose wiggled at them, sniffing them out.

“Chev stay out of this!" The ground squirrel jumped up and down angrily. “I said I was going to take the next one!"

“Well, this is the first one so… go for it?" Chev rested back. It was hard to tell if he closed his eyes or not; Isaac just assumed he did as the gray ground squirrel spun back around to glare at them one at time.

“Where's the foreman, Bailey." Juke spoke up before either of the two could. The coyote walking back over to give the squirrel a once over. With a single sniff he could tell the miner had been smoking something rather illegal. “Is that Lice I smell?"

Juke lip twitched. The name was a common slang for the addictive drug smoked by a lot of the outer world systems. One of the nasty habits of it made the user scratch over their body as if covered in lice.

“Not on the job anymore, am I?" Bailey just shrugged with a shake of his head, begging for a fight at this point. A couple of the other miners sat up waiting for Juke to make the first move.

The coyote readjusted his hat. “Where's the foreman." Juke focused on that, he'd get Bailey later for the possession of the goods; planning to keep them for himself after.

“You here to see Dole?" Bailey seemed to shy back at that however. “He's… he's not here anymore…" The ground squirrel couldn't make eye contact and ended up just kicking a rock with his boot.

“We really need to talk to him. I'm here to help, you know me." Juke tipped his hat up. “I've been a good marshal, I like ta' think. We can work this out. No bloodshed, just words."

“You're nothing but a washed up drunk." Bailey laughed in the coyotes face regaining his nerves. That was until Typhon came up and snarled right back in his face. The ground squirrel recoiled at that, nearly falling over in the process. “Look, I don't know! He's sort of… went deeper."

Juke was glad he had gotten the saberwolf to tag along now. It would have been a fist fight already if he hadn't brought some big guns with him. Typhon presence alone deterred the others from stepping in. Only armed with pickaxes and shovels and a couple drills, they didn't want to get into any sort of fight. “Point out where on the map?" The coyote began.

Bailey quickly jumped over to the wall and began outlining things. “Over here, near the boiler-,"

“What do you mean deeper?" Isaac cut him off walking over. He ignored the saberwolf, keeping his distance as he asked the seemingly simple question. The slight movement away from Typhon made the saberwolf's fur rise.

“He was convinced if he found it. That… that it could fix all our problems." Chev said from the back. The mole seemed just as concerned by the issue as the other miners were now. Several talked amongst themselves over the matter.

“I said I got this!" Bailey whined loudly at the mole, stomping his foot several times. “I can handle this!"

“Find what exactly?" Isaac pressed.

Chev just shrugged. “Who knows? He was rambling off about it. Dole just kept going on and on about how he needed to go deeper to find it. That it would solve all our problems when he did. We… we haven't seen him since."

“The others began acting up too." One of the miners spoke up getting the ground squirrel just as angry as he'd been with Chev.

“Tunnel madness!" Another jumped in with a nod.

“We blocked off most the lower tunnels. Those who went down didn't come back; we just wanted to make sure no one else got lost… or worse." Chev said sadly, saying a silent prayer for his fallen comrades.

“That's why you guys started the strike? Something spook your boys down there and now you don't want losing anyone else, huh?" Juke thought that over. He'd need to add it into the report.

“Yeah. Since… since when it happened…"

“When is since." Juke joined in now, getting annoyed by all this. They were talking. Just not the details they needed to hear.

Chev tapped his metal clawed fingers together on his belly as he thought it over. “Well… probably a planetary month ago? Give or take. Right, Bail?"

The ground squirrel grumbled an agreement.

“That was before the strikes." Juke noted counting it out on his fingers to figure out the date. “What about the kidnappings?"

“Those Terran were asking the same." Bailey groaned, eying Isaac now assuming him to be here for the matter. “We don't know what happened to your friends, ok? They came snooping around and then vanished. That's all. We aren't killers like the Corp bastards up above."

There was a resounding cheer from the others about that.

“What other Terrans?" Isaac ended up asking before Typhon could intervene.

“The ones back at," Bailey began but soon found himself being blocked by a wall of angry blue fur and fangs. The ground squirrel recoiled at that afraid to be ripped apart.

Instead, the saberwolf just picked Isaac up and began heading deeper inside the tunnels.

“Hey!" Isaac punched Typhon's back. It had little effect.

“We got work to do, questions later!" Typhon hurried ahead without stopping, only apologizing after hitting Isaac's head against one of the overhanging support bars.

“Set me down! I'll come willingly, don't just!" Isaac frowned as the saberwolf just picked up his speed. “Where are you even going?"

“The deepest part, duh." Typhon said having only really heard that part.

“How do you manage to do that? Running around until you find a long hallway leading straight down?" Isaac was jostled as the wolf kept going.

“Maybe…" Typhon ears splayed out having planned exactly that.

“There are elevator shafts we could've taken." Isaac patted the saberwolf's back, tapping out. Typhon stopped, hesitantly setting him down in front of him. Typhon didn't let go of either of Isaac's arms. “I was just asking about the other Terran's." Isaac frowned up at him.

“I just…" Typhon bit his lip unsure what to say.

“Look. I get it. I just wanted to send out a message, back to the others that I was at least ok. So they didn't worry." Isaac held up the band on his wrist. “It's not like I can exactly take this off. I'm stuck with you."

Typhon took a second on that to calm down. “I wish you didn't say it like that…" The wolf looked to one side.

“Like what?" The human was confused.

“Stuck with me…" Typhon muttered.

“It's true though, isn't it?" Isaac just wanted to get this over with and here they were arguing again about something.

“I won't let them put you down!" Typhon said suddenly, loud enough to shake the stone walls around them. Several chips of rocks fell from above. They waited for the dust to settle. “I know you aren't… you are…" The saberwolf's eyes trailed down to Isaac's left arm. He couldn't say the word. Isaac knew what he was going too.

Defective…

“I won't let them do anything to you." Typhon tried to reassure the human.

Isaac sighed with a shake of his head, brushing his hair back with his left hand.

“Look," Isaac took a step forward.

“Bastards!" Juke popped up at the top of the slope they had headed down. “I knew I shouldn't have just up and given you both clearance!" The marshal slide his way down, revolver in hand as he pointed it at the two.

“The elevator shaft is that away." Isaac pointed towards the side, holding up his tablet to show the marshal as if Typhon had known that and was just heading in the right direction. “We were waiting for you…"

“What took you so long?" Typhon jumped in without even missing a beat.

“Did you get any new information from the miners?" Isaac just continued.

“Well, no. I…" Juke stammered.

“Wasting time."

“We don't got all day."

“Don't want to be here when night falls." Typhon nodded.

“Would be extremely dangerous, I agree." Isaac nodded with him. The two easily teaming up against the marshal.

“I, well, right then. Good." Juke holstered his gun, adjusted his belt and spat to the side. “Just no more running off and leaving a man behind, ya' hear! This place is a winding maze. Not all these lanterns work, you know!" Juke tapped one of the hanging metal lamps with his finger. “Fuck. Could've gotten lost…"

Isaac took a second on that. “Juke, are you scared of the dark…?" The human chuckled.

“He wants us to hold his hand." Typhon gladly jumped in on the topic.

“I still got my gun!" Juke warned.

“Go first then." Isaac gestured down the side passageway. The dark tunnel looking nearly identical to the rest of the place. Carved walls with support beams lining them with connected overhanging brackets. “You got the gun." Isaac countered after the glare he got.

“And I'm the one hiring you two!" Juke growled.

“Which you already paid us for." Isaac winked. “Besides, best if the guy with no actual combat experience handles the map." He held up his tablet. “In the back. Behind those who DO have experience."

“And I'm just protecting the guy with the map. So we have way out of here." Typhon smirked. Juke pulled out a silver flask from his vest and took a long drink of it.

“They don't pay me enough for this shit…" And the coyote headed down the tunnel with the two following behind. “Let's just get this over with."

“Why don't we just make a break for it?" Typhon whispered. Isaac was sure the coyote could hear them but didn't care.

“He can revoke our passes. If we tried something fishy like that." Isaac was already marking the map for where they've been, scouting out the quickest route out of this place. Just in case.

They hadn't seen another miner inside since the entrance. The place was deserted. Nearly abandoned, save for the lamps still working and the filtration system running on this level.

“Then let's just shove him down the elevator shaft and call it quits." Typhon chuckled. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not.

“He's not defective, we can't do that." Isaac sneered back making the saberwolf roll his eyes.

“Are you ever going to drop that?" Typhon grumbled.

“As long as I'm defective, no." Isaac headed ahead of the wolf as he looked the map over as one would a phone following a GPS. Typhon just watched him from behind. “These tunnels have been recently built…" Isaac noted expanding the scene before them.

Though they had only entered the mine a good fifteen minutes ago, the three were far farther inside it than he expected them to be. He wasn't even tired from walking the distance they traveled. That or the map wasn't properly measured out for them.

“They're the newest addition to the mines, I think. In this area." Juke waved it off. “I'm just the guy with the gun. I don't know my mining policies. I just know the foreman was supposed to be here. He's always supposed to be at the newest mining site."

“How do you reinforce the law if you don't even know policies?" Isaac chuckled.

“I just do as I'm told." The coyote gave him a look over one shoulder before pressing the call button for the elevator shaft they had stopped in front of. The mine around them shook and a creaking sound filled the tunnels as the gears turned pulling up the lift.

“Right… And you wonder why they're striking." Isaac tapped on the tablet a couple of times. It stuttered in his hands making him frown. Even underground there shouldn't be any interference with the system itself. Maybe to the connection to the tower up in the facility, not the tablet from working. He wouldn't have wifi of course; still it should be working with the downloaded map. “I'm getting a lot of interference down here."

“We are in a mine." Juke tapped his foot, taking another long drink from his flask. He offered it to Isaac who just shook his head. “There have been rumors of miners losing their minds down here…"

“Tunnel Madness I think it's called, right?" Isaac nodded at that as the wolf came up from behind him on all four. Typhon looked over his arm at the tablet. Isaac just showed him it wasn't working and put it away.

“I'm sure it'll work once we reach the surface…" Typhon tried to console him. Isaac pet over his head in thanks for that. Despite their earlier fight the two stayed close together.

“Most burrowing races don't get TM." Juke nodded though. “Tunnel Madness is for Terrans and such." Isaac rolled his eye at that but couldn't argue against it. Tunnel Madness was extremely similar to cabin fever. Or at least that was what Isaac had read back in the academy.

“Why are subterranean races being affected by it then? Shouldn't their, like, biology protect them?" Isaac wished he could look it up on his tablet. He felt rather blind without the thing. He was just glad he could pet Typhon's head to distract his worrying thoughts.

“It shouldn't." Juke left it at that as the lift finally reached them. Several metal boxed crates were stacked on one side; there was a minecart in the middle and just enough room for the three to fit on the lift around the thing.

With a press of a button they began to descend.

“Some kind of drugs could play an affect…" Isaac thought it over recalling what the ground squirrel had been smoking. He wasn't sure if Lice could; the drug wasn't common from where he was from. Isaac wasn't even sure of the proper name for it. “Or if there was like a gas leak." He added tapping the bubble around his mouth.

Most the miners didn't seem to have the proper equipment for being so deep in the planet's surface. Be it underfunding or simple dangerous working conditions, Isaac wasn't sure.

“We got sensors for any leaks." Juke rested against the minecart, glancing inside. The coyote quickly stood up. “Here." Juke said without a word, taking his rifle off handing it over to the saberwolf. Typhon took it giving Juke a look as the coyote passed Isaac a hidden small pistol from inside his boot.

“What…?" Isaac dared to ask looking at the minecart.

“We might be dealing with some real sicko's up ahead…" Juke didn't say anything more. Typhon nose twitched as he glanced over inside the minecart.

“That's what I've been smelling, huh?" Typhon frowned shaking his head. He stopped Isaac from looking. “Best if you don't." Isaac wanted to argue but he couldn't, not after the look he got.

Typhon clearly looked worried by whatever he saw inside the cart, not wanting Isaac to have to go through what the two had seen.

“I won't let them hurt you…" Typhon whispered the words, repeating what he had before. Isaac didn't say anything. He just felt very cold the rest of the way down until they reached the bottom. They just continued to descend, lower and lower into the mines until finally with a rattling clunk they hit the bottom.

Several of the lanterns were off, unlike above. The electrical lines had been cut and a few were still sparking. There was a stench in the air. It was stale, the air filters having been burned out or turned off. The musty smell wouldn't even have been tolerable if the three, Juke turning his own, masks weren't filtering it out for them.

Isaac could see with his artificial eye, Juke and Typhon night vision helping them out in the dimly lit tunnel before them as they dared to step forward off the elevator.

“My lights not working…" Juke spoke up, hitting his left glove with the butt of the revolver several times. The wrist light had been on until they had reached this level. Flickering out just like the lights around them were doing. Sputtering on and off as if gasping for their last breath.

“All tech seems to be acting up. Some sort of magnetic field?" Isaac tapped at his right eye a couple of times blinking.

“How's you're uh… tech, holding up?" Typhon asked the human.

“Seems to be functioning fine. The biotech is attached to my nervous system. It's almost organic." Isaac shrugged his shoulders. “My only guess why my eye isn't on the fritz like my tablet or the lights."

“If it does, just let me know." Typhon paused enough to make sure Isaac was looking at him, able to see him in the dark.

“What? Going to give me a piggy back ride out of here?" Isaac chuckled at that, rubbing the back of his head where Typhon had smacked it on the roof of the tunnel.

“I'll just shove you back into my jumpsuit like last night." Typhon grinned.

“No one's shoving anyone into anyone else's suits until we deal with this!" Juke snapped his fingers several times, motioning for the two to keep an eye out.

“Could we not do that even after?" Isaac pleaded.

“No promises." Typhon snorted following after the two.

Within a single step, Juke was stopping. The coyote knelt down to inspect one of the bodies of a miner lining tucked up next to the wall. The coyote cursed, pulling back quickly as the barn mouse convulsed on itself. It threw up something that Isaac couldn't tell if it was bile or blood.

The miner had tried to get to the lift only to succumb to whatever else had happened down here. He wasn't the only one either.

“He's alive… sort of." Juke stood back up, walking over to check out one of the other miners curled up on themselves. Tightly enough that Isaac was sure even Typhon couldn't bend that far. “This one too."

“This guy is too." Typhon spoke up, kicking the mole on the ground. They grunted, groaning out low without moving further.

It was like they had all huddled together next to the elevator waiting for it to come back down for them; for it never too.

“He is too. Sir, do you need help?" Isaac was the only one to ask shaking the large badger he had walked over to inspect. The older male just groaned out, shaking a bit before stopping. A horrifying rattle escaped him and then silence. “Sir…?"

“Get away from him." Juke was taking another long drink from his flask just glad the cylinder could pass through the transparent bubble mask he wore.

Isaac pulled back, turning to look at the other two when a strong, coarse paw padded hand grabbed his arm. The human recoiled, trying to pull away only to find those fingers gripping him tighter. The badger's body twisted violently, half of him still facing towards the wall, while those dead sunken eyes stared at Isaac.

“Deeper." The badger groaned out.

Isaac shuddered. The sound was wrong. His voice was distorted like he was speaking through a radio's static.

“Have to dig… deeper." The badger voice was no more than a whisper. A breath of air that shouldn't have been able to escape the seemingly dead body.

“Scratching at the walls." Some else spoke up. A whispering sound that rose. Rose as everyone else joined in the chorus of madness around them.

“Clawing at my mind." The mole scratched at the wall.

“Whispering in the dark." The barn mouse curled up on itself once more.

“Lurking between the cracks."

“Watching from behind."

“Following your steps."

The voices only grew as they went on. The hand on Isaac's wrist tightened and the human was afraid he'd have to pull the trigger on the miner as the badger's eyes rolled into the back of its skull.

A swift kick to the badger's side forced the Mustelidae to let Isaac go. Typhon pulled the human away from the man. The saberwolf giving the bum one final snarl before trying to force Isaac into the front of his jumper.

“I'm fine, Typhon. I'm fine." Isaac patted his chest, pushing him back. “Look. They're clearly suffering from some sort of… of… of… shared delusional psychosis. Or there really is a gas leak…" The human could feel his teeth chattering.

It had gotten so cold down here. He could even see his breath in front of his face.

“One of the sensors could've broken down. Or, well, like ten of them. There are backups for the backups. Then the filters. On top of no one noticing until everyone was affected…" Juke didn't sound confident. The coyote was struggling as he took another drink from his flask. Struggling to find an answer and in the end just gave up trying too. “Let's just get this over with!"

“What if the foreman is in the same… situation as these people are?" Isaac found himself being pushed along. He wanted to call the mining facility and let them know what was happening to the miners down here. Get them some kind of medical attention.

“We just need his ID. Once we get it, we can leave. Someone else can replace his damn position and I can go back to the canteen for a good stiff drink!" Juke headed in front of the two, both quickly following after.

“If you want to leave, just let me know… Even if we become criminals, we can figure it out." Typhon let Isaac know, not letting the human stray from his side again.

“We're already here…" Isaac wanted to agree with him though. To turn around and just leave this place far behind. His training had never prepared him for this. “Just… don't go too far. Please…" Isaac wasn't even sure he said the last word. Typhon brushed his side allowing Isaac to hold onto his back.

The further they went, the heavier the air became. It was almost thick enough to touch. The lamps weren't working and with every step they took things seemed to tilt as if beginning to spin downwards; the floor was askew, uneven and had several holes in it as if someone had stopped to dig right there on the spot. The walls were covered in scratch marks, various holes had been dug into them. Just enough for someone to try and worm there way inside.

The horrible raspy sound coming from these holes made Isaac grip the saberwolf tighter.

“Wait." Typhon said making the others stop. His nose twitched several times. “Blood…" Typhon stood up, holding the rifle with both hands as he moved a step further. “Stay behind me." Isaac did.

Juke nodded back at him stopping at the entrance to a large opening ahead of them down the spiraling tunnel. Motioning for Isaac to stay back to cover their escape, the coyote moved in first. Using only sign language for the other two.

The walls had been dug out from all sides forming a large room. It sloped downwards along the mine tracks and to a dip in the ground itself; a minecart was resting in a pool of something pitch black, like oozing ink bubbling from the ground like water. There was a large mining machine tipped on its side next to it. Claw and scratch marks covered the heavy duty mining equipment.

That was just the start. The room was painted black. Blood dripped from the walls, covered the floors as several bodies had been dug open as if they had gotten in the way of the mining drill itself. Their chest cavities exposed and their innards missing.

“Deeper."

A voice whispered around them, echoing off the clawed walls themselves.

All three held up their weapons, keeping their backs to each other as they looked around the room.

“I can't see a damn thing!" Juke snarled loudly; the coyote was shaking. Isaac could feel it.

“Dig deeper."

“Pick out the wax from your ears then!" Typhon snarled back as he tried to scan the room. His grip tightened on the rifle; he was scared as much as the other two were but he couldn't let that show. Not now. They needed him to be strong.

Several large support beams had been constructed to keep the carved space from collapsing in on itself. With uneven terran, the room had been scraped out with fingernails than pickaxes or shovels. Claw marks covered every wall and surface alike.

Isaac could see movement behind the minecart sinking into the middle of the floor into the pitch black liquid oozing out of it. The metal cart rose and fell as if the liquid itself was breathing. No matter how much the ground bled, no more liquid seemed to be able to fill the room.

“What secrets did they hide?" Static filled their ears. It made the three wince as the sound scraped over their very minds. “Hide inside. Dig it out. Dig them out. Dig out the secrets…"

Isaac could feel his blood go cold as he saw him.

Foreman Dole was a large mole with massive metal claws on his hands. He was still wearing a miner's helmet with goggles over his eyes, one of which had cracked and broken open. Revealing nothingness behind it. The foreman was piling something up and into the minecart as he rambled on incoherently.

At first Isaac thought it was rocks. But the sound made his stomach turn. They were too wet to be rocks. Too goopy to be mud or dirt. The smell of iron filled his nose as the foreman continued to dump handfuls of it into the cart in the middle of the room.

“H-He's next to the minecart!" Isaac said trying to point the foreman out in the dark. The other two turned towards the general direction trying to make Dole out.

Just as Foreman Dole turned to look directly at Isaac.

“Secrets." The foreman body shudders, convulsing as he twisted in on himself as he took a step forward. “What secrets are buried inside?" The mole picked up his pace towards them. “Secrets buried deep inside!" The foreman charged lifting up one of his makeshift drill claws above his head.

Isaac shot out, missing the foreman. The flash of light from the blaster gave the other two enough time to move out of the way as those drilling claws clamped together, spinning with a horrifyingly wet sound like a blender as it came down on where they had been standing.

Typhon pulled Isaac back as he jumped backwards, hitting his back hard against the wall. Juke flung himself to the other side, out of the way. The coyote had misjudged his jump and smacked right into the raised ground, bashing his skull against it.

Juke fell limp to the ground.

“Dig deeper." Foreman Dole spun on the two of them ignoring the coyote behind him. Clicking his claws together as he walked closer. “Uncover the secrets buried within. Deeper still. Deeper past the flesh and bone. Deep inside to what you hide."

Typhon lifted up the heavy rifle with one arm, aiming at the location the foreman's voice was coming from and fired. Several shots rang out as the laser rifle went off. The bright light illuminating the room in sporadic bursts like a strobe light. Each shot missed as they dug into the rocky surface around them.

Typhon cursed as he pulled Isaac back once more with them, dodging another overhead swipe from the mole. Foreman Dole's burrowing claws dug into the rock beneath their feet, tearing it apart with ease. The destruction cause Typhon to shield his eyes, losing his balance as the uneven ground shook and came rolling over towards the middle of the room.

Typhon kept Isaac close as he came crashing down. The saberwolf grunted on impact as he turned over to stare blankly up in the dark room. Typhon still couldn't make anything out as his voice shuddered in his own throat.

“Left!" Isaac shouted and the saberwolf barely managed to dodge to the right as the foreman kept coming at them with both claws. “He's behind us." The human in his arms went on.

Typhon moved back.

“Bar behind you!" Isaac said causing the wolf to stop. “There are four pillars around the room. You almost ran into one!" The human shuddered from the cold breeze blowing. How there was a breeze down here, he wasn't sure. “If they come down…"

“The whole place comes down on us. Right." Typhon thought that over. “You can see?" The saberwolf finally asked.

“With my eye I can see in the dark, yes." Isaac was staring at the mole.

The foreman was busy digging at the spot they had been. Ripping apart the rocks and tossing them aside after inspecting each and every one of them far more than any sane person would. Then tossed it aside as he pulled out another stone to look over.

“He's completely lost it…"

Typhon zipped down his jumper and before Isaac could stop him was placed inside. Each of his legs sliding into the ones Typhon was using, leaving the human resting against his stomach and chest. Zipping up the front, Typhon rolled one shoulder.

“Much better. Game plan." Typhon said with a smirk feeling the human so close to him like this. “You be my eyes. I be your arms." Isaac just gave a nod as the warm yet cool fur brushed against his back.

“Right. Sounds good. He's about fifteen paces in front of us. Digging in the ground." Isaac tried to ignore the bulge pushing against his rear as the saberwolf stood up. He kept both arms out of the jumper, just in case.

He rather not have to use his ace card so soon; not wanting Typhon to know about it.

“Got him." Typhon fired several times with the assault rifle. It clipped the foreman's shoulder causing a blood chilling scream to fill the air. The two had to cover their ears as static filled the room, like nails over a chalkboard that dug into the back of their skulls.

The mole tossed itself into the ground, rolling to one side then the other. Crying out in a voice that gurgled in his throat, cutting off into static as those dead empty eyes turned towards the two.

“Left of the spot you fired at." Isaac winced as he spoke.

Typhon was already firing as the foreman clawed its way towards them. Foreman Dole ran to the side ducking behind one of the pillars causing Isaac to tell Typhon to stop firing. In the split second he had, the foreman was running right back at that again.

“Income!" Isaac closed his eyes as Typhon jumped backwards once more.

The foreman didn't stop there, bringing up his other drill arm towards their chest cavity. Isaac didn't have the time to react as he held up both arms in self defense. The fingers closed together, drilling forward as foreman went in for the kill with a horrifying shriek.

Isaac cried out holding out his arm.

A blue sphere of translucent light formed between Isaac and the foreman. The madman's drill connected against the shield stopped the drilling claws. They dug against the barrier as the band on Isaac's wrist glowed brightly; one of the three opals shining like the morning sun before them. Lighting up the room as the human held it out in front of him like a cross before a demon.

The foreman snarled viciously biting out at them as he brought the other arm up to strike the shield. The barrier shook, quivering in the air as cracks began to form across its surface. The drills beginning to pierce the shield as the centered in right on Isaac's chest.

Not quick enough as Typhon lifted his gun up and opened fire right on the mole's midsection. Unleashing a dozen shots before finally letting the trigger go.

Foreman Dole stood there, chest smoking before falling backwards with a rattling groan as his last breath escaped him.

Isaac was breathing heavily. Typhon was breathing heavily. As the two looked down at the foreman then at the band Isaac was still holding out in front of them like a shield.

“I… I didn't know it could do that…" Typhon licked over his suddenly dry lips. Isaac squirmed and the wolf zipped down his jumper.

“I told you it was my lucky charm… How the hell do you think I passed my tests at the academy?" Isaac held it up, looking at the silver band then down at the mole still twitching in front of them. “We should check on Juke…"

Typhon just nodded, following after Isaac. He didn't take his eye off the mole. Isaac held up the band in front of them as the farthest opal continued to glow brightly as the two made their way over to check on the coyote.

Then the opal began to die down and fade back to how it had been before.

“Juke, are you ok?" Isaac hesitated recalling what had happened with the badger earlier. He reached out still, shaking the curled up coyote's shoulder. “Juke?"

“Who!" Juke shook violently sitting up as if having been woken up from horrible nightmare. The coyote looked around breathing raspy breaths through clenched teeth, hissing out in pain.

“Whoa, whoa. It's me. Isaac. The merc you hired. Do you… remember?" Isaac asked. Juke pulled out his flask, taking a long drink before answering.

“The cutie from the mining facility, yeah." The coyote nodded. Isaac helped him back to his feet. Juke winced holding the side of his head; pulling his hand away he saw blood. “What happened?"

“The foreman went mad. Tunnel Madness… I think…" Isaac took a second on that but didn't go into the details.

“We need to get his ID." Juke groaned and rested his weight against Isaac who helped support him. “And then a stiff drink."

“Don't drink after getting a knocked out!" Isaac chastised him.

“You need a drink especially after getting a concussion!" Juke tried to laugh and only ended up wincing from the pain. The coyote let out a soft whine.

There was scrapping sounds and the two stopped. Isaac quickly looked around in the pitch black room. Now that the opal had died down, they had been left once more in the still darkness they had walked into.

“Fuck! He's gone!" Isaac called out, looking around the room. Typhon quickly moved over towards them, looking around. The saberwolf had been watching the mole until the light went out; still just staring at the spot.

Unable to see in the absolute darkness around them…

“I filled him with blasters!" Typhon snarled looking around. His nose twitched, ears were up as those large black and blue eyes looked around the room.

Isaac held up the band hoping it would activate again; he'd never figured out how to get it to work. Only that it ever did when he desperately needed it too. Always coming to his aide at the last moment…

However, it didn't activate when someone else was in danger.

Foreman Dole jumped out of hiding, lunging forward swiping down over Typhon's back with his drilling claws. They easily tore through the jumper the saberwolf was wearing and dug deep into his back. Flesh tore, fur was ripped as blood sprayed into the air. A howl of pain filled the room as the saberwolf was spun and thrown to the side out of the way.

“Typhon!" Isaac shouted, trying to pull Juke back with him as the foreman turned on them.

“Isaac…" Foreman Dole voice didn't seem to be his own. A twisted sound as if someone was using the mole's body like a radio. The foreman shook, tilted his head upwards to just stare at nothing. “Isaac, the stars are falling…"

“No…" Isaac eyes widened as he stared into the blank face of the foreman. The human let Juke go, his hands shaking so bad as he took a step away. “No. Not again, please…. Not again…"

“Isaac! Where is he!" Juke called out, looking around blind.

Foreman Dole looked up and Isaac couldn't help but follow where the mole was looking at now.

The lights around them sputtered on all at once, lighting up the room in an eerie pale light. Illuminating the horrors that had happened down here in these mines.

Written on all the walls. A hundred times. Words that lapped over themselves. Written in blood. Clawed into the rocks themselves. Words that had haunted Isaac since his childhood.

“The Stars are Falling..."