FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 35: Raw

Boom! Men rush through the shattered front door, their gear as black as the midnight sky. Smoke and tiny wood particles fill the entrance as their boots thud loudly on the hardwood flooring. Their KRISS Vectors are at the ready. Walking slowly behind them, the pale, blond-haired man turns his head in a methodical, quasi-robotic fashion. He doesn't so much as cough as he stands in the mist. Entering behind him, a large, stainless-steel revolver in-hand, the canine AdvAnimal with snow-white fur and black hair pulled into a large, fanned ponytail, scans the corridor with her icy blue eyes.

“Well, now!" Krystal chirps.

“Clear." A distant voice comes from one of the rooms.

After a short pause, Agent Sharpe traverses the main corridor in the penthouse apartment, following after the men in his strike squad. With two fire teams activated, the men spread out, searching for their targets. A third fire team follows Agent Sharpe and Krystal, serving as their personal protection, a request made by The Old Man, himself. Clearly, he isn't willing to lose Agent Sharpe just yet.

“Breach and clear." A team leader speaks through the voice modulator on his gas mask.

The male AdvAnimal Commandos, wearing their special ARAHM Model 1 gas masks and black, tactical gear, carry out their orders. One uses a Benelli Supernova Tactical shotgun and fires a door breaching round through the lock. The special slug blasts a hole through the lock and destroys the latch, the doorknob rattling off, before another AdvAnimal Commando kicks the door with a boot-clad foot. As soon as the wolf has kicked open the door, a feline AdvAnimal throws in a flashbang, and once it detonates, all three Commandos, led by their human team leader, charge in and search the room.

“Clear."

Room after room, they search the penthouse, only to find absolutely nothing. There's no sign of Martin Foster or the missing Type-Z, Camilla. Krystal and the other AdvAnimals cannot help but marvel at the fabulous wealth of the man they're hunting. Even Agent Sharpe is impressed.

“Mr. Foster has very good taste." He mutters to himself, examining the bar.

“There's no sign of him, sir." A team leader approaches the Agent, his submachine gun draped over his chest. “According to blueprints, there are no secret exits, but we can check for them anyway, if you want."

“No... I don't think that'll be necessary." Agent Sharpe replies in his eerie monotone.

Pointing toward a table, there's a few small articles of clothing lying out in the open; a lone sock and a crumpled pair of panties. Marks on the highly polished floor look like scrapes from an AdvAnimal's toe-claws, while a faint outline of dirt forms what appears to be the tracks of a wheeled suitcase. The marks lead toward the front door.

“It would appear that we've missed them." Agent Sharpe remarks.

“What are your orders, sir?"

“Return to the van. Ensure that your team do not encounter any civilians, especially females. I'll be down shortly. We'll investigate his work office." He says, turning his head and looking at his partner, Krystal.

“Yes, sir!"

Eager to carry out his orders, the three human soldiers command their nine AdvAnimal Commandos and they swiftly depart. Standing in the living room of Martin's apartment, Agent Sharpe looks around. Krystal twirls her revolver on her furry finger, before slipping it into her shoulder holster.

“Well, at least she had a good life." She remarks.

“What's that, sugar?" He asks, taking off his sunglasses as he approaches his partner.

“This place. Obviously, Mr. Foster had money. She could've been living in a hovel with whoever found her, but she wound up here. She was luckier than most, even among those Welcomed in Phase One." She explains.

“Don't you like our little hovel?" He teases her, stepping closer.

“I love you, Danny. I only care that we're together... But a nice home is still nice." She smirks.

“I love you, too, sugar."

Taking her into his arms, the lovers embrace. He buries his nose in her soft and sweet-smelling fur, his hands rubbing her back. She clings to his upper arms, nuzzling his face with her snout as her bushy tail wags happily behind her perky buttocks.

“A part of me feels badly that we have to take her away from all of this." He whispers into her ear.

“I know." She coos, still nuzzling his face. “Danny. The one good man at Sovereign Six."

“I'm sure there are others." He grins.

“Yeah, well, fuck them! I only care about you!" She chirps.

“Come on, sugar." He chuckles. “We have work to do."

“Lead the way." She coos, then sensually licks his cheek.

Making their way to the parking garage, they find the service elevator is still blocked by the rear doors of the SWAT van. Stepping inside, Agent Sharpe directs the driver to take them back to the rendezvous. The strike squad will return to the airfield and await dust-off, while Agent Sharpe and Krystal continue their mission alone. Once they reach the rendezvous, the Agent and his AdvAnimal companion climb into their car, a solid black Mercedes with heavily tinted windows. It's a short drive from there to Martin's brokerage firm.

“Remember, no one knows about the treatment, yet. You're a special case. Don't go talking and freaking people out."

“I know. That's your job." She giggles.

“I'm serious, Krystal!"

“Don't 'Krystal' me, Danny! I know my job! Trust me!" She cheerfully retorts.

“I'm just saying, you're a bit of a wild card."

“That's why I'm so sexy." She winks.

“You're going to make a hell of a mom." He smirks.

Everyone notices the black Mercedes that pulls into the private parking area. Though it has government plates, they don't even stop to flash a badge. The gate guard's terminal suddenly flickers and the arm swings open on its own. As the vehicle parks, the door opens and the suit-clad man emerges. A chill runs up their spines at the sight of the almost sickly-looking man, whose skin is a little too pale. Soon, however, they're startled by the sight of the exceedingly feminine AdvAnimal.

Her shapely body is covered in a somewhat skimpy black dress, a red cardigan shrouding her figure and barely hiding the large revolver she carries. Specially made shoes that fit her paw-like, digitigrade feet click loudly as she sashays behind the strange human. He flashes a badge and introduces himself as an NSA Agent. The woman at the front desk stares at Krystal, her mouth agape. Krystal flashes a toothy grin, her eyes narrowed as she shows off her fang-like canines.

“Are you listening?" Agent Sharpe calmly asks.

“Huh?! What?!" The clerk asks with a shivering voice.

“Just as I thought... I said 'could you please show us to Mr. Foster's office?' We have reason to believe that he is a threat to national security."

“Uhm, I sh-should probably call my supervisor!"

As she reaches for the phone, Krystal grabs it, her slender fingers curling around it as she shows off her nearly inch-long claws.

“Why waste the time? He's going to ask for a warrant, which we have right here..." Agent Sharpe calmly explains, briefly flashing a piece of folded paper taken from a pocket of his suit jacket. “We merely want to view his office and confirm our suspicions."

“Okay... Uhm... Ih-it's on the top floor, room-"

“Why don't you show us?" Agent Sharpe casually asks.

“... R-right this away!"

Following the visibly nervous woman, they make their way through the halls and toward an office on the top floor. The entire firm is soon abuzz with talk of the strangers, and many peek their heads out of office doorways and through windows to catch a glimpse of them. The firm's relatively young CEO soon appears, Edward Finch, a man who has his own AdvAnimal companion, whom he Welcomed during Phase One. The rather buxom zebra girl emerges from his office and waves to Krystal, a hint of recognition on her face.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Finch and his AdvAnimal companion are far more comfortable with the Agent and his partner, though he's still unnerved by the presence of feds. Fearful that Martin could be some sort of terrorist, he cooperates without question. The Agent and his partner learn troubling details. Martin and Camilla appeared without warning the previous night, when most of the staff had already gone home. Mr. Finch and his AdvAnimal companion were at the office, “working late", and were the only two to encounter them.

Martin carried a briefcase with him, but it didn't appear that Martin was struggling. Mr. Finch thought it might be empty. After spending only an hour in his office, the broker and his AdvAnimal left.

“He always came in and did his job like nobody's business. When he started bringing Cammy, it was a bit weird, but the staff quickly grew comfortable with her. After I Welcomed Marcy, it wasn't all that strange. I certainly never expected anything like this from Martin! He was always one of my best employees!" Mr. Finch rambled on, showing them into Martin's office. “Here it is. It should be just as he left it. Our cleaning crew was off last night."

“Thank you, Mr. Finch. If we find anything, we'll let you know."

“Please do."

With his hand on her back, Mr. Finch shows his AdvAnimal out of Martin's office, before following her into the hall and closing the office door behind him.

“That was Marcella. I went through 'The Catechism' with her. She wasn't much of a soldier." Krystal remarks after a short pause, staring at the door.

“What did I say about using that sexy voice of yours?" Agent Sharpe smirks, glancing back at her.

“I know, I know!" She replies. “Looks like she's doing alright, though. I'm happy for her."

“You're being a bad girl, Krissy. Now, be good and focus."

“Ooohhh... I like it when you talk dirty to me." She coos and licks her lips.

“What am I going to do with you?" He sighs.

“Well, there's a nice, big, comfy desk right here." She teases, bending over it and presenting her butt to him. “Maybe you could discipline me?"

“Perhaps... Too bad it isn't ours."

“So?!"

Walking past her, he gently pats her buttocks before pulling open a few drawers and beginning his search.

“Fine. Be that way." She pouts, straightening her back and crossing her arms beneath her bust.

“If you help me search, I'll be sure to punish you when we get home."

“Ooh!" She grins, her eyes lighting up and her tail wagging.

A thorough search of the office reveals a wealth of clues. Mr. Finch wasn't wrong; a large assortment of files is missing, likely taken by Martin in his briefcase. A small cache of files lies strewn about, though it proves unhelpful. It does, however, reveal the source of Martin's wealth. He's been manipulating the stock market for over a decade, with help from unnamed sources. Upon investigating for hidden compartments, Krystal discovers a secret drawer that obviously concealed a handgun. The felt lined space for the weapon and spare magazines are empty.

Agent Sharpe takes out a hacking tool, preparing to break into Martin's computer, only to discover that it doesn't work. Using a pocket toolkit, he discovers why. Martin had removed the hard drives and RAM chips before damaging the motherboard with what appears to be a screwdriver or chisel.

“Clearly, he'd planned for this. I wonder what would make him leave, though?" He thinks aloud.

“Instinct?" Krystal shrugs her shoulders.

“You think he smelled us coming?" He chuckles.

“You humans have instincts. They may be weak, but they're there. Humans also have brains. He probably realized his mistake, filing for a marriage certificate with false IDs, and decided to run for it with his mate." She retorts, very matter-of-factly.

“You're probably right..." He sighs, closing the computer's case. “Though this doesn't give us much. If he felt like we'd be coming for them, then he'd certainly collect enough money to disappear. Even we struggle to find people living off-the-grid..."

“Maybe Agent Stevenson and Persephone are having better luck?"

Ring, ring, ring! Checking his phone, Agent Sharpe glances to Krystal and smirks.

“Agent Stevenson..." He begins. “Updates?"

“We checked his bank accounts, sir. Mr. Foster transferred in upwards of eight-hundred-million dollars out of a series of accounts. His own personal account was nearly a quarter of a billion. The funds went into a shell account, which was promptly drained by several sources. We lost the trail with the Swiss accounts. We're trying to gain access, but my guess would be that those accounts were already closed, too." Agent Stevenson begins in their cold monotone.

“Ugh... Fucking Swiss..." Agent Sharpe grumbles. “Anything else?"

“He left himself about one-hundred-thousand, but closed that account in-person just before closing time, yesterday. He might've called ahead on an unregistered phone, as there's no record of the call from his personal numbers. We picked him up on traffic cameras at the bank, though, and the missing Type-Z can be seen hiding in the backseat. We followed his trail to his local post office, where he picked up his mail, including that marriage certificate. After that, he drove out of town and disappeared into the boonies... I'm sorry, sir." Agent Stevenson continues, gradually adding more inflection into his voice.

“A man with that much resources and a decade of connections likely already has several false identities. I expect he's also switched cars." Agent Sharpe thinks aloud.

“What are your orders, sir?"

“At this point, our only real shot at finding them is if we can spot the Type-Z out in the world. There's only two who escaped, so she'll be very recognizable. Put some people in D2C and AMO-1 on the task. We're coming back."

“Yes, sir!" Agent Stevenson chirps.

“Mind yourself, Agent..."

“Yes, sir." Agent Stevenson replies in the Agent's trademark monotone.

Ending the call, Agent Sharpe lets out a long and heavy sigh as he slips his phone back into a pocket. He turns his head and looks at Krystal, who by now is sitting atop Martin's desk. She smiles warmly at him, extends a foot and gently rests it in his lap, brushing his inner thigh with her toes.

“It'll be okay." She speaks softly, a warmth in her voice. “We'll be fine, Danny."

“I hope so. This isn't the news he wants to hear."

“There's nothing more we can do. The Old Man might be a bastard, but he understands the job better than anyone else. You're his heir. Just relax and do your job to the best of your ability, like I know you already are."

“How can you always be so positive?" He cannot help but smile.

“Because I have you!" She chirps, sliding off of the desk and giving him a hug.

“Open mouth, insert foot." He chuckles, holding her tightly. “I love you, Krystal."

“I love you, too, Danny." She says as she nuzzles and softly kisses his cheek.

“Come on, sugar. Let's get back home. I still need to punish you!" He chirps, putting his mirrored sunglasses back on.

“Ooh! I mean, aww, but Master?!" She flashes a lustful grin, cutely biting on the tip of her tongue.

Making their way to the office door, Agent Sharpe glances back at Martin's desk and destroyed computer.

“I hope that son-of-a-bitch is panicking right now..."

Standing in the foyer of the modestly sized but elegant home, the deeply tanned man in business casual signs the last of the papers. Pressing the button on his retractable pen, he slides the papers toward the duo who sit across from him, at the breakfast nook.

“Thank you very much for your business, Mr. Johnson!" The realtor chirps, taking her stack.

“Yeah. It's not everyday we can close a sale like this." The banker adds, slipping an envelope into her purse.

“Oh, believe me, it's my pleasure."

Passing the buyer the keys, the duo make their way to the front door, leaving the new homeowner to continue with the business of moving. No sooner than they leave, he takes out a satellite phone and speed-dials the only number saved to it. It only takes one ring before someone answers.

“Hey. It's done. How is she?" Martin asks.

“Get home quick. She's about climbing the walls." Connor replies, a hint of worry in his voice.

Dashing outside, Martin jumps into his late 2000s BMW, squealing the tires of the nearly ten-year-old car as he races back to The Four Horsemen's new home. Arriving within minutes, he'd been separated from Camilla for just over an hour. It's the longest and furthest they'd been apart since he met her, let alone since taking her virginity and claiming her as his mate. Almost immediately upon entering the manor's front door, he's slammed into the wall. Camilla leaps at him, hug-tackling her mate.

“Whoa! It's alright, Cammy! I'm back!" He exclaims, wrapping his arms around her. “You have to be careful doing stuff like that! Think of the baby!"

“MMMM!!!" She coos, nuzzling his face.

It's then that he notices how badly Camilla is shivering. It's as if she'd been stuck in a blizzard for hours. The trembling AdvAnimal nuzzles his face and kisses him again and again. Someone else hastily shuts the front door, to conceal the couple lying in the small foyer.

“She started freaking out about five minutes after you left. We kept telling her you'd be back but she started pacing and whimpering, peeking through the windows, hoping to see you." Donnie explains.

“That's my honey bun." Martin grins, his hands caressing her back as they continue to lay on the floor. “I'm sorry I had to do that, Cammy. I needed to secure our house."

“MMMM!!!" She continues to nuzzle and kiss him, as if making up for lost time.

Once she's finally calmed down, several minutes later, Martin and Camilla get up from the floor. Making their way deeper into the new manor, a much newer, six-thousand square foot home with modern stylings and décor, Martin finds his friend's mates. Just beside the foyer, in the living room, they're digging through several forgotten crates they'd taken from their new warehouse. Once they'd picked out their rooms, unpacked and furnished the home, which took them all of one grueling day, the men decided to let their girls enjoy whatever garments they could find inside.

Samara has collected a stack of black jeans and slim T-shirts, which look as though they'd cling to her in much the same way as her Commando bodysuit. Victoria is now in the kitchen, but before she'd left, she'd claimed a stack of skirts and sweaters. Alessandra has discovered a fondness for loosely fitting blouses and tight, capri leggings, similar to Camilla. Mackenzie, on the other hand...

“That looks good, Presh!" Louis chirps, sitting on the edge of a nearby sofa and doing reps with a dumbbell. “I like those colors on you!"

“Mmm!" She coos.

In her clawed hands, the mouse AdvAnimal sets the bright pink top in her pile. She's found a cache of maternity clothes. The dresses with swollen bellies and the stretchy tops sit in a neatly folded pile, beside the scrawny mouse girl. Returning to the one-meter-squared crate, she shoves her upper half inside. Digging through the other garments, her pink, fleshy tail stops swaying and suddenly raises, as if in surprise.

“Ooh!" She chirps, pulling her upper half out of the crate.

In her clawed hands is a pink, frilly robe, with matching shorts and a tube top. Clearly marked on the top of the plastic packaging is, “Essential Stretch, Maternity Shorts & Strapless Bra, With Robe!" Opening the package, she holds the clothes up to her body and turns to Louis for his opinion. Still working out with the dumbbell, Louis smiles and nods his head.

“That's a good one too, Presh!" He chirps.

She adds it to the pile, to the shock of the other men.

“Uhh, Louis... Was there something you wanted to tell us?" Connor asks, slowly turning his head toward his friend.

“What?"

“Is she planning on bulking up for the winter?" Jack asks, trying to lighten the mood.

“No. She's just pregnant." Louis casually replies.

“Are you serious?!" Connor gasps.

“What?"

“When were you going to tell us this?" Jack carefully asks.

“Eventually." Louis shrugs his shoulders.

“Are you sure that was a good idea, man?!" Connor wonders.

“I can get my wife pregnant if I want!" Louis snaps back.

“Is that what she is? Your wife?" Donnie asks with a raised brow.

“She might as well be!" Louis confidently retorts. “Come on, Macky. Let's go."

Scooping up the clothes she'd picked out for herself, she promptly darts up to Louis, who slides off of the couch.

“Mmm!" She coos, tucking herself beneath his outstretched arm.

Everyone else watches the pair as they make their way out of the living room and down the hall, toward another room where the assorted books and knickknacks from their old study are located. It's also in this room where Louis has placed his exercise equipment, and where Adrian will sleep, in the day bed.

“What the hell has gotten into him?" Connor thinks aloud.

“Yeah. He's acting really strange." Donnie adds, nodding in agreement.

“Isn't it obvious?" Martin chuckles.

“Isn't what obvious?" Connor turns to him.

“He's doing it for her." Martin explains, a little smile on his face.

“I think it's kind of sweet, actually; Louis trying to man up for Mackenzie. He still wants to impress her even after he's got her. That's love." Jack interjects.

Glancing back at their friends, Connor and Donnie watch as Martin turns to Camilla, his arms around her waist as he gives her a passionate kiss. Jack motions to Alessandra, who happily darts up to him, only for him to pull her into a loving embrace, nuzzling and kissing her neck. She plants her clawed hands onto his shoulder blades, grinning from cheek to cheek. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Connor turns back to see Samara looking down at him. Her big, sapphire eyes scan his form before she pulls him into a warm hug.

“Man... Now I feel left out." Donnie chuckles.

He soon leaves his friends to look for Victoria, whom he knows was exploring their new kitchen. She's almost always within arm's reach, but as he promised her that he wouldn't leave the house, she seemed content to explore her new cooking space. The others quickly find ways to busy themselves. Connor and Samara relax on the living room couch and play video games, while Jack and Alessandra disappear upstairs, into their bedroom. Martin and Camilla are staying for a night or two, until the movers can bring the new furniture he'd ordered.

No longer used to spending large amounts of time with his childhood friends, Martin leads Camilla away. They pass by the study, where Louis works out while Mackenzie watches him, and quickly busy themselves by checking out the manor's indoor/outdoor swimming pool.

“Damn it, Adrian!" Amanda growls, darting down the stairs.

“Hmm?" He turns his head to look at her, as if she were calling out to him.

“I can feel you breathing on me! Can't you follow somebody else for a change?!"

“Hmm..." He rubs his furry chin. “... Mm-mm!" He smiles, shaking his head 'no'.

“... Go... Away..."

“Mmrrmm!" His perky bunny ears droop and his lips curl into a little frown.

Walking away from the bunny man, Amanda approaches Connor and Samara, who stare at the TV screen, controllers in their hands.

“So, are we still doing it?" She asks.

“Huh? Oh, yeah." Connor replies, his eyes glued to the TV.

“Great! ... When?"

“I don't know. A few days, I guess?" He replies, tilting the controller as he furiously taps a button. “Damn, babe! Have a little mercy!"

“Heh." Samara smirks.

“A few days?! We should be making a move right now!" Amanda demands.

“Jeez! We're still settling in, here. Relax." He replies. “Oh! You got me again!"

“Ugh!"

Throwing her hands into the air, the frustrated brunette storms out of the living room. They'd agreed to continue with her plan, to hack into the satellite uplinks and secure a strong signal, but her companions seem to keep pushing her mission aside. Unfortunately for her, however, she cannot do it alone. Adrian begins to follow her, walking out of the living room, but as Amanda stops, deciding what to do with herself, Adrian bumps into her from behind, nearly knocking her to the ground.

“Oh!" He reaches out to catch her.

“I'm fine!" She snaps at him, regaining her balance and swatting a hand at him. “Look, just because you get to come with us on the mission doesn't mean you have to be two steps behind me all of the time! We aren't leaving, yet, so go find something else to do!"

With that, the human storms off, leaving him standing by himself in the main hallway, beside the stairs. Still eager for her affection, he decides it'd be best to give her time to calm down before seeing her again. Maybe she'll be less upset by then? He ascends the stairs, looking for Jack and Alessandra, as they're often the friendliest and most inviting. After reaching the top, however, he notices something. Focusing his hearing, Adrian can hear the muffled sounds of Jack and Alessandra in their room, in the throes of passion.

He immediately turns around and makes his way back down the stairs. Peeking into the living room, he watches Connor and Samara playing video games together. Leaning away from him, she uses a paw-like foot to rub his leg.

“Oh, I've got you now, babe! There's no escape!" Connor chirps, his eyes wild with excitement.

Lifting her leg, Samara pokes his slender belly with her claws.

“Ouch!"

“Hehe!" She giggles as she sits up.

“What was that for?"

“Aww! Mmmmm..."

She coos and nuzzles him, her eyes fixated on the screen. Thoroughly distracted, Connor begins to lose to his mate.

“Hey, come on, babe! This isn't fair!" He whimpers, struggling to maintain his focus.

As if to rub salt in his wounds, Samara licks his neck. Content to leave them be, Adrian makes his way down the hall, looking for the others. Peeking into the study, he catches a glimpse of Louis and Mackenzie. Louis looks worn out; he takes deep breaths and his skin is glossy with sweat. He's sitting atop the very edge of the bench of his exercise machine. Mackenzie sits directly behind him. She massages his shoulders as he pants. The mouse AdvAnimal coos as she touches him. She leans closer and appears to be sniffing him, her eyelids fluttering. Resting her snout on his shoulder, she gains his attention.

He turns his head and sees her, only to crack a little smile. After tapping her nose with the tip of a finger, eliciting a giggle from his mate, he leans in and steals a kiss. One kiss becomes two, and as he turns to face her, his trembling arms wrapping around her slender waist and pulling her even closer, Adrian takes his leave. He passes by the indoor/outdoor swimming pool, which passes beneath a custom-built retractable window. Sitting at the edge, Martin drips with water. He watches as Camilla swims, fully submerged, and moving from one end to the other.

She swims like an eel, her arms above her head and her entire body swaying forward and back, like a wave. She moves so swiftly, clearing the length of the Olympic sized pool in only a few seconds. Back and forth, over and over again, and she never once pops up for oxygen. Returning to her mate, she finally emerges from the water and takes a deep breath.

“That's impressive, hon! I've never seen anything like that, before!" Martin exclaims, thoroughly shocked.

“Mmm!" She coos.

Closing her eyes, she wraps her arms around his waist and places her head against his belly. He tenderly pets her head for a moment, and strokes her tall, elf-like ears, which, from the fluttering of her eyelids and the strange, twisted smile on her lips, she seems to greatly enjoy.

“So, what do you want to do now?" He asks.

“Heh..." She flashes a sinister grin.

He lets out a yelp as she suddenly pushes off the edge of the pool, yanking him from his perch and dragging him to the center. Martin briefly flails about, and finds himself swimming in place as Camilla moves in circles around him. Her long, tapering tail rubs around his waist and her clawed hands grab at him. Martin tries to catch her, reaching for where he thinks she'll be, only for her to evade him. With a raised brow and a little smirk on his face, Adrian leaves the pair to play. Perhaps Dr. Jose Chavez and Audrey will need some help? Finding the basement, Adrian quietly opens the door, only to immediately freeze.

“I. Do. Good?" A female voice asks.

It sounds so familiar, but the bunny man cannot place it. Sniffing the air, he recognizes Audrey's scent coming from below.

“Shh... Yes, you're doing very good." Jose speaks in a hushed voice.

“I. Saw-ree." Audrey quietly replies.

“It's okay, pumpkin."

“I. Just. Want. Prach-tiss. My. Words." She says with a little whimper.

“I know. I want you to, but... Well... We haven't told them enough yet."

“When. We. Tell?"

“Soon, pumpkin."

“Mmrrmm!" She whimpers.

“I'm sorry, pumpkin. I hate to see you unhappy! ... Okay, then. I'll tell them tonight, at dinner."

“Eee!" She squeals with delight.

“I'll do it for you, my love."

“Aww!"

Adrian can hear the pair nuzzle each other and kiss several times.

“You. Be. Oh-kay?" She asks with genuine concern in her voice.

“I'll be fine. It's about time I push myself." Jose insists.

“Mmm! I. Love. You." She coos.

“And I love you more, pumpkin."

“No!" She retorts.

With that, Adrian, having yet to be discovered by the doctor and his red panda girl, quietly retreats. There's nowhere he feels he can go without intruding on someone. With a heavy sigh, he enters the kitchen and looks at the clock. It's barely been ten minutes since he'd left Amanda's side. Feeling a little thirsty, Adrian opens the fridge and collects a carton of orange juice, which he promptly finishes. Sitting at the dinner table, he stares at the clock, resting a cheek in his palm and tapping his claws atop the table.

Tick tock, tick tock; the clock's pendulum swings back and forth. Eventually, another ten minutes has passed. Feeling an urge to relieve himself, Adrian makes his way toward the nearest bathroom. As he approaches, he's certain he can hear something inside, but he cannot make out what it is. With a furled brow, he opens the door and his blue eyes grow wide. Inside, he finds Donnie and Victoria having sex. The mare leans on her forearms, in front of the bathroom sink, her legs spread and lowering herself for her mate.

With eyes closed and head tilted back, she whimpers into Donnie's hand, which covers her mouth. She peeks and looks into the mirror, watching him as he takes her from behind. Seeing the bright light from the sun, which radiates through the hallway from the large windows in the kitchen, Donnie opens his eyes, turns his head and glares. With a final thrust, he pauses, immediately alerting the mare that something is amiss. Taking two steps back, Donnie removes his manhood from her loins, which Adrian briefly stares at. No wonder the mare chose him! At least he thought ahead and wore a condom.

“The fuck, man?! We're busy! Get out!" The human snarls at the rabbit man.

Victoria grumbles, not from the intrusion but from the interruption in their carnal passion. She reaches out for Donnie's manhood, trying to direct him back into her loins, but he slips away. Raising his hands in surrender, Adrian takes two steps back as Donnie storms up to him. He grabs the doorknob just as Adrian finds himself in the center of the hall.

“Use another bathroom, dude!" He growls before slamming the door in Adrian's face.

The rabbit AdvAnimal stands there for a moment, only moving when he hears Victoria briefly yelp, a cry that's muffled by her lover's hand. Her moaning resumes shortly thereafter. Making his way up the stairs, Adrian finds the only other hallway bathroom, which he promptly uses. After washing and drying his hands, he makes his way down the hall, contemplating what to do and where to go next. Somehow, Jack and Alessandra are still in the throes of passion. Jack must have quite a bit of stamina.

Turning the corner, Adrian is surprised to see Amanda, hastily walking down the hall and away from the couple's bedroom door. He finds this exceptionally unusual, as Amanda's bedroom is down the opposing hall, well away from Jack's and Alessandra's room. With her eyes trained onto the floor a few feet in front of her, she pushes past him. Why is her face so red? He turns to watch her, only to catch her glancing back at him. She looks away, takes a few more steps and then stops. A hand moves from her side and rests in front of her.

What's she grabbing at? The bottom edge of her skirt? He cocks his head, curious as to what's troubling Amanda, who certainly doesn't seem herself. The buxom brunette slowly turns around. She stares at him for a moment, nibbling on her bottom lip as her eyes slowly scan his form.

“Adrian..." She speaks softly, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Hmm?"

“I, uhm... ... Follow me." She quietly instructs.

His ears perk up and the bunny AdvAnimal darts after her, his footpads moving him silently across the carpeted floor. She continues down the hall, turns a corner and heads straight for her bedroom, then opens the door and steps inside. Adrian dutifully follows her. Standing just inside of her room, he turns to her, curious as to what she needs from him.

“Lock it." She murmurs.

Adrian obeys, then turns to Amanda, who takes a step closer. Some time passes, and soon it's nearly dark; it's almost time for dinner. Victoria and Donnie, long since finished with their personal activity, work in the kitchen, where Mackenzie assists them. With her pregnancy now known to the everyone, Victoria understands the mouse girl's curiosity and eagerly teaches her how to cook for her mate. Jack and Alessandra are sent to fetch everyone and go from room to room, knocking on every door.

“Huh?! Wh-who is it?!"

“Hey, Amanda. Dinner is almost ready." He speaks to her door.

“... Okay!" She shouts at him from the other side.

Jack and Alessandra make their way downstairs, and after a short pause, Amanda's bedroom doorknob clicks. It slowly creaks open, and the young woman pokes her head outside. Looking to and fro, she adjusts her glasses before pulling open the door and motioning with a hand. Adrian zips up and buttons his shorts as he emerges from her bedroom, a wide smile on his face. Turning to her, he watches her pulling her bedroom door closed, trying to make as little noise as possible. She glances over to him, as if she can feel his big, sapphire eyes on her. He smiles at her rather innocently, only to grab his crotch and adjust himself.

“Remember: Tell no one... That was just a moment of weakness, alright?" She insists.

“Mhm!" He nods.

“If anyone asks, you were-"

Before she can finish her sentence, Adrian walks away. He suddenly seems more interested in dinner than her, a first for the AdvAnimal. Briefly succumbing to surprise, Amanda blinks and shakes her head, snapping herself out of it.

“Okay, then..."

Making her way downstairs, she finds the entire group in the dining room of their new manor. Martin and Camilla sit at the furthest end of the large table, often unused by Donnie, his friends and their girls. Jack and Alessandra take a seat near them and directly across from Jose and Audrey, who have entered the dining room from the nearby basement. The AdvAnimals all immediately glance at Adrian, who happily slumps back in his seat, though they don't pay any attention to either him or Amanda. To her silent relief, they don't even smirk at their obviously mingled scents, which she's certain they can detect.

“There he is! I was going to ask if you'd seen him but I figured-"

“I bumped into him about five seconds after I left my room!" Amanda swiftly interrupts Jack, her eyes darting between everyone else.

“Right. That's what I figured." He chuckles.

Alessandra turns her eyes toward Amanda, and the human notices her lips scrunching at one corner of her snout. The red salamander hybrid subdues a smirk. After Donnie and Victoria pass out their drinks and food - a large platter of chicken, beef stew and rice pilaf - they sit down for their evening meal. It's a quiet dinner, and few have anything interesting to say. Audrey glances at Jose, who seems pensive. After staring at the red panda girl for a moment, Jose nods his head, clears his throat and rises from his seat.

“What's up, doc?" Donnie asks, leaning back in his chair.

“Heh. I'd kill to hear Adrian say that." Jack chuckles.

“..."

“I just wanted to say..." Jose begins, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “Well, I know you all risked a lot to get me and Audrey out of Telivima. I know you did it because you wanted answers and a means of bringing down Sovereign Six... And I know that I haven't been the most helpful to you."

“Hey, doc, it's alright."

“Thanks for saying so, Louis, but it isn't. You've all been exceedingly patient with me and it's been nearly a week since we've been together, so... If you'd like to ask me some questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

The group is stunned by the unexpected opportunity to finally speak in-depth with one of the men responsible for the AdvAnimals' creation. Audrey, however, looks apprehensive. She's clearly worried for her mate's physical and mental health, and perhaps something else...

“Are you sure about this, doc?" Donnie asks.

“No." Jose smiles, adjusting his new eyeglasses. “But I can't avoid this forever."

“I mean, you probably could." Jack remarks.

“Oh, really?!" Jose grins.

“But if you insist!" Connor swiftly interjects. “You mentioned flaws, plural... What are some of these flaws?"

“There's a variety of things we deemed to be flawed about the AdvAnimals. Could you be a bit more specific?"

“Okay, uh... Why can't they talk?" Connor clarifies.

“I always wondered why they were mute, myself." Jack remarks.

“Technically, they aren't mute. Aside from their usual cooing and whimpering, they're more than capable of speech... At least physically... The problem is their brain development. Something about how they're formed in the tanks causes a particular portion of the brain to be underdeveloped. A colleague theorized that it could've been due to a lack of hormones from a mother's womb. We merely synthesized the conditions to the best of our ability. This is likely why second gens, the children born naturally to mated AdvAnimals, don't have this flaw, but I digress."

As he begins, Jose speaks with the enthusiasm of a nerdy college professor. He even appears content to share this truth.

“AdvAnimals are capable of learning speech as any human, and are obviously literate. They intuitively learn their first language as they're exposed to it, as any human would. The problem was sparking final development in the underdeveloped portion of the brain, which Dr. Gunderson managed to achieve. The first tests were done on Harriet, and were quite successful!" He continues.

“And that's what you're doing with that headdress thing?" Donnie asks, cocking his head.

“Yes. It doesn't take many treatments to see results, and it isn't harmful, so long as you do it in moderation. Audrey is already capable of simple speech!" Jose chirps.

“What?!" Several of them gasp.

Turning to Audrey, Jose extends a hand and nods his head, a signal to his companion. Though she appears nervous, she takes a deep breath and clears her throat.

“I. Aw-dree... Veh-ree. Pleez-deh. To. Speh... Speeek. To. You." She talks slowly and methodically, wincing as she focuses on more complex words.

“Very good, pumpkin! I'm so proud of you!" Jose exclaims, lovingly rubbing Audrey's back.

“Mmm!" She grins from cheek to cheek.

Everyone falls silent, and with the exception of Adrian, their eyes are wide. Victoria covers her gaping maw in shock, while Mackenzie and Camilla appear quite jealous of the red panda girl's new abilities.

“Why wouldn't Sovereign Six let you fix that flaw?!" Donnie gasps.

“Yeah! I mean, if AdvAnimals could talk, so many more people would want them!" Connor exclaims, visibly excited by the revelation.

“Because... In the course of resolving this flaw, it also resolves another..." Jose's tone changes, his eyes shifting toward the table.

“Doc?" Donnie softly asks.

“Are you alright, buddy?" Jack chimes in.

“Yes, I'm..."

“Do you want to take a break?" Donnie offers, worried he might suffer another panic attack. “You can stop for a bit."

“No. This needs to be said..." Jose replies, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “You've undoubtedly noticed the... Clinginess of your females."

“Oh, yeah!" Martin exclaims, glancing at Camilla, who seems to flush with embarrassment.

“Well, this seems to be a direct result of their underdeveloped brains. Once the neurons are capable of connecting and firing properly, it bridges that disconnected portion of the mind; the AdvAnimals see a change, in personality as well as their abilities..."

“What kind of change?"

“The treatment affects the sexes differently. During our 'tests' at Red Base, and I use that term loosely..." Jose scowls as he recalls the work done at the facility. “We learned that females form deep, emotional attachments to the first male they mate with. They want only that male's affection, treating other males with indifference or outright hostility, and suffer incredible separation anxiety when kept apart from their mate, even for very brief periods of time. Their bond with their mates is so extreme, that on two separate occasions, which were several years apart, when their mate died due to an accident and an unknown health condition, respectively, the AdvAnimals committed suicide..."

They're left speechless; the men sit with eyes wide and mouths agape.

“Those incidents were kept off the record. I only know about them because I was working there at the time and saw the incident reports. Typically, females rarely take such drastic action; if they lose a partner, they can simply find another, and so long as they're capable of baring children, there's hope for finding a new mate and a better future, a chance to pass on a legacy. They're the most desirable of the sexes for this very reason, and human women know this, but that's only one aspect of their condition.

To female AdvAnimals, anyone who might vie for her mate's affection is considered a serious threat. Before the treatment was ever developed, one of our staffers was nearly mauled to death for merely touching an AdvAnimal's mate, because she needed to take his blood pressure. I saw that one with my own eyes. On one particular occasion, I read an incident report where a female nurse's throat was slashed because she'd hugged a female AdvAnimal's mate. That event was also buried.

After numerous similar incidents, we had to resort to gender segregated medical and security staff, with very few exceptions. The males have an entirely different flaw. They form no bonds, whatsoever. They can become close to people and form communal groups, such as military units, but they don't become emotionally invested in mates. In fact, males seem to want to mate with as many females as possible. This makes sense from a biological perspective; taking as many opportunities as they can to pass on their genes, etcetera.

It would seem, then, that the female's protectiveness of their mates and their extreme aggression toward potential threats is some sort of natural balancing of the social scales. It maintains exclusivity over their mates and ensures a proper parentage for their young. They behave as if humans share the animalistic proclivities of the male AdvAnimals, which, by and large, we don't, as we've evolved to form emotional bonds, and produce complex societies that require more cohesion. None of that makes a difference; that's simply how they are.

By giving the AdvAnimals the power of speech, a nearby portion of their brain also changes, and these oddities in their behavior begin to wane, though they never quite disappear. Females are still deathly loyal to their mate and refuse any advances by other males, to the point of violence, but they can at least tolerate a degree of separation. They also might not consider joining their mate in death, though we cannot say for certain until... Anyway, as for the males, there's something of an emotional awakening.

One of the few males ever given the treatment seemed to grow attached to a female staffer. We had a shortage of lab workers at the time, and due to her skills, she was required to be in his presence. Anyway, his fondness for her grew to the point of ignoring other females in favor of her, even when he was taken to the 'natural insemination rooms' or as I call them, the 'rape boxes'. He wouldn't even touch the women who were bound and unable to fight. From the few reports I'd read on the matter, he behaved as though he was in love with her. They were later paired.

Obviously, the majority of us wanted to utilize the treatment, so I pressured them to allow me to treat the first gens en masse. I urged them to let me do it, I begged, to prevent any incidents of female aggression or male promiscuity by those being released into the civilian population. As you know, however, I was told it wouldn't happen. Apparently, they prefer the AdvAnimals to leave their care with these severe behavioral problems. I'm still unsure as to why..."

As they're listening to Jose speak, all of the girls begin to share a similar expression. Their eyes turn to their mates and then at themselves; they stare at their legs, laps or clawed hands with melancholy and a hint of fear. Camilla, who'd suffered tremendously during the hour she was kept away from Martin, looks almost ashamed. Realizing her pain, Martin is quick to comfort her, whispering into her elf-like ear that it wasn't her fault and assuring her that he still loves her. Alessandra, who nearly attacked Amanda for simply hugging Jack, seems to ponder her past actions.

“Wow... That's some crazy shit." Jack murmurs.

“You're telling me." Connor says with a sigh.

“And this device of yours can fix these problems?" Donnie asks.

“Yes."

“And does this have any lasting effects? Any negative emotional changes or something?" Donnie probes, a hand clinging to Victoria's.

“Not that we've seen, but the trials were admittedly very limited. Harriet has had a healthy mind longer than the others, and she seems relatively unchanged. She has her husband, Ozzy, and she still seems to love him. She appears all the better for it." Jose replies, shrugging his shoulders. “The handful of others we'd given the treatment, during the testing phase, both males and females, seem similarly better off."

“So, can I assume that the second gens don't have all those emotional problems?" Martin asks, a hand resting on Camilla's toned belly.

“Possibly. As far as we know, they seem very emotionally stable. That is to say, of course, they still act territorially and utilize heightened instincts, like the first gens who've received the treatment, but the oldest second gens are still too young to seek out mates, so we can't really say for sure." Jose elaborates.

“But they still have flaws?" Jack wonders.

“Yes..."

“... Such as?" Louis asks after a long pause.

“Whatever you assume the AdvAnimals to be, the truth is... I'm honestly not sure, myself. I can make assumptions based on my work and the orders I'd been given, but they never explicitly told me why or for what purpose the AdvAnimals exist. I can tell you that we didn't intend to create them; Harriet was a fluke. Originally, we wanted a human with enhanced abilities. Upon her development, orders came from the top and everything changed almost overnight. This became true for our research goals as well as our mission objective."

“How so?" Connor asks, his voice quiet and a little weak.

“Harriet is the only pure AdvAnimal in existence... Upon her creation, we were told to experiment with genetic alterations..."

Jose pauses and turns to Audrey. She seems to know what he's about to say, and after grabbing his hand and stroking him with her thumb, she nods her head once. Jose examines the group at the large table, gulps and takes a deep breath.

“The AdvAnimals as you know them... They're unnatural... And I don't mean that they were created in a lab. What I mean is that everything about them was manufactured to specifications we'd received from the highest authority. No reasons were given, just a list of things to achieve, and we achieved them..."

“Go on..." Donnie murmurs, a hand covering his mouth and gripping to his chin as he stares at the table.

“Have you ever noticed that faint smell? A pleasant and intriguing aroma that seems to emanate from their fur or Alessandra's and Camilla's skin? Those are pheromones... Animals often secrete them for a myriad of reasons, but Harriet did not. She's like a human, and while we do have pheromones, we've evolved beyond the need for them. Every other AdvAnimal, however... These pheromones work only on those genetically compatible with them; it helps them choose mates by luring in those most affected, and similarly, they can sense our pheromones, however weak they may be. It helps them choose.

Of course, like humans, they also proactively target potential mates base on whatever it is they like about them. Personality or looks... This brings us to the other modifications we were asked to make... You've undoubtedly noticed that the females in this room are all quite voluptuous. Most women have to put forth considerable effort to keep such a figure, or hire surgeons to be so endowed. Their high metabolism maintains curvy figures and gives them a wealth of stamina, their soft facial features are unassuming, their big, pretty eyes are as vibrant as a mosaic, and their..." Jose pauses, his hands hovering in the general area of women's breasts.

“Anyway, that's all intentional! It needs to be. The unfortunate truth is that physical attractiveness directly correlates to successful mating and reproduction. Even Adrian over there, he's modified as well. He isn't as muscular and toned as some others I've seen, but variations occur. That being said, he's stronger than almost any human male, despite his physique, and he also emits pheromones that his viable mates often find very alluring. On top of that, he's very likely the most endowed man in here! That's by design." Jose exclaims, pointing to the AdvAnimal.

Adrian's brow raises in surprise, while Amanda's cheeks flush. The rabbit man glances down at his crotch for a moment, only to turn his eyes toward Donnie. He cannot help but smirk as he recalls what he saw when he'd intruded on Donnie and Victoria earlier that day.

“We were specifically instructed to ensure that those of, let's say, a larger species, maintained their endowment, respective to their humanoid physiology. The others were enhanced... For the ladies' sakes."

“So, a horse AdvAnimal is literally hung like a horse?" Jack asks in jest, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes."

“Lucky..."

“Dude, this is serious." Donnie grumbles, rolling his eyes.

“Sorry." Jack murmurs.

“Everything about them is carefully orchestrated in their genetic code. We manufactured the AdvAnimals to suit a specific purpose." Jose continues.

“But why?! What's the purpose?!" Louis gasps.

“To make them more appealing... Sexually... You see, this is what I consider to be their greatest flaw... They're incapable of reproducing without a human partner. They won't even consider the possibility of another AdvAnimal as a mate, hence why Adrian follows you around all of the time, when it seems that there's other females he could focus on." Jose explains, glancing at Amanda.

“You mean, they're not capable at all?! Not even in a lab setting?!" Connor gasps.

“No. We tried to get two AdvAnimals to mate and it simply never occurred. When we finally decided to try manufactured pregnancies, just to see what would happen if they somehow 'did the deed', nine times out of ten, the fetus failed to fully develop and would've resulted in a miscarriage. The other ten percent, the results were... Unpleasant, to say the least. After that, we never attempted in vitro fertilization."

“Okay, so, they need humans to procreate. So what?" Jack asks, a perplexed look on his face. “I mean, there's billions of us..."

“Did, uhm... Ahem... Did they ever ask for anything else to be done to them? Any other special modifications?" An unnerved Donnie interjects, leaning forward, against the dinner table.

“They did want us to enhance their animal senses. Smell, sight, hearing; they wanted good dexterity and a superb reaction time. Strength is already enhanced in all species, considering the weight-to-strength ratio of many animals and their fusion with human DNA. Most AdvAnimals can sprint faster than the fastest human. We clocked a few deer AdvAnimals at thirty-five, and a few felines at almost forty. They also seemed very fond of night vision, which even the herbivorous AdvAnimals have in spades." Jose answers.

“Just how many different species are out there?" Connor asks, glancing at Samara.

“Technically, they're one species, a race, if you will, but they come in varying breeds... And there's hundreds of breeds. If you can pick a land-based mammalian, the chances are they've used their genetic code to create and AdvAnimal variant."

“What about them? They're lizards! ... Or lizard-like, I guess." Martin looks at Camilla.

“The Type-Z's are a different story. They were created through combining three or more species, the only breed of AdvAnimal to have that treatment. I'm honestly unsure of how many went into the pot, so to speak, as I've never personally worked on that project. Originally, they were intended for experiments with certain reptilian regeneration abilities, in the hopes of using them in future generations of the more conventional AdvAnimals. From the level of interest at the time, though, I'd say they were hoping to accelerate whatever their grand plans are.

However, their development and testing were promptly scrubbed after another project scientist performed a series of tests. Something about the results bothered the men at the very top, and so all of them, all twenty-thousand females, were imprisoned. They were never intended to be released, lest they procreate..."

Camilla glances down at her belly and gently rests a hand over it. She never thought she'd be the first of her kind to breed, and the fact that her creators didn't want it instills her with fear and concern. Perhaps there was a good reason for their decision to imprison them? Martin slides closer to her, taking her in his arms once more. He kisses the side of her face and nuzzles her, giving her a little squeeze.

“It's alright, Cammy. You're going to be okay. You and our baby are going to be just fine." He whispers to her, then kisses her again.

“A few were scattered around, sent to other bases for use in other projects, as they didn't want to use up 'releasable' AdvAnimals, though they were forbidden from breeding. That's where you found those two, serving as test subjects, security and what-have-you." Jose adds.

“How long has she been pregnant, Marty?" Louis asks.

“She'd know." Jose remarks.

“How's that?" Connor furls his brow.

“AdvAnimals seem to instinctively know when they've become pregnant and when they're going to give birth. We first noticed it during the Red Base 'reproductive tests'; they're more accurate than a Swiss watch." Jose explains.

“Huh... Instincts, I guess?"

The entire mood has shifted and the air in the room is heavy. With their half-eaten meals sitting on the table, they stare at their plates, themselves and each other. Jose, proud of his accomplishment, waits for more questions. The girls all appear unnerved and worried, perhaps even ashamed of who they are, while Donnie and The Four Horsemen seem perplexed and disheartened, but also worried for their mates. Adrian is the only one who appears unphased, while Amanda stares at her lap with cheeks as red a maraschino cherry. No one questions Jose.

“Maybe... We should finish our meals in our rooms." Donnie eventually suggests.

“Yeah. I kind of want to lie down." Louis murmurs.

Their girls quietly collect their plates and drinks, still trying to attend to their mates by carrying extra. Jose pulls the chair out for Audrey, who turns to him and hugs him as soon as she rises to her feet. She looks quite concerned, perhaps worried that the memories of what he'd done in the name of Sovereign Six might trigger another panic attack. Jose, however, seems better for it, nuzzling the soft fur covering the nape of her neck as his hands slowly rub her back.

“I just have one last question..." Jack speaks up.

“Yes?" Jose lifts his head and looks to him.

“Who named them 'AdvAnimals'?"

“I don't know. Probably some marketing guy they'd contracted, or maybe even a member of Sovereign Six. The latter wouldn't surprise me, as unimaginative as it is." Jose smirks.

“Oh..."

“We'll, uhm... We'll pick this up later... Or something." Donnie mutters, glancing to Victoria.

“Alright. Come on, pumpkin. Let's watch a movie and cuddle."

“Mmm!"

“How about 'The Fugitive'? That's a good one."

“Bloos. Bruh-thers?" She retorts, batting her eyelashes at him.

“... Oh, alright!" He softly chuckles.

“MMM!"

The group disperse, promptly returning to their rooms to finish their meals and collate all of this new information. Martin and Camilla, however, pull out the futon mattress from the sectional couch in the living room and relax, snuggling and watching movies all night long. Adrian, to no one's surprise, waits for Amanda. She's the last to ascend, after opting to finish her meal at the table and then properly clean and return her tableware and utensils. As she begins to open her bedroom door, she can feel his warm breath tickling an ear. Glancing over to him, he flashes an innocent smile.

“Adrian!"

She speaks in a softened growl. It's almost a whimper. Hearing her unusual tone, his expression changes and he appears concerned.

“Hmm?" He leans a little closer, his eyes scanning her face.

The rabbit AdvAnimal stands so close that she can feel the warmth radiating from his body. He steps even closer, so much so that her skin tingles from the sensation of his soft fur brushing against her skin. Glancing down, she's surprised to find that she's not even touching him, yet her mind made her feel as though she was. Why does he bother her so much? She smells a faint musk coming from him; it's a woodsy smell, like a rugged man's body wash. She'd smelled it before, when they were together in her room, but it's somehow strangely familiar, like a cologne her father might've worn.

Though she wants to be frustrated by his blatant disregard of her personal space, for how he follows her even after her repeated warnings not to, and for how eager he seems even after what they'd done only hours earlier, she simply cannot. For some reason, she cannot be angry with him anymore. Something's changed. Is it her? Is it him? Perhaps it's both. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she slowly and sheepishly reaches out a hand. His smile returns as he looks down, watching as she gently rubs one of his furry forearms.

“Do... Do you want to come in? Spend some time with me?" She asks in a near whisper.

She already knew what his answer would be, but seeing her bashfulness, she's relieved when Adrian merely nods his head. Pushing her bedroom door open for her, he waves a hand, presenting it to her, only to follow her inside and close the door behind them. She hears the lock clicking and her heart begins to race. Peering over her shoulder, she watches as he removes his shirt. Her eyes drink in his slender and somewhat athletic form. Amanda finds herself following his lead, unbuttoning her somewhat dressy blouse and slowly removing it.

Her skirt is next to fall, just as he takes off his shorts. This continues until they're both naked, after which he takes her by the hand. She's amazed as she's led to her bed by the AdvAnimal. She's so willing, and he's unusually gentle, considering how he behaved before. He pulls the covers back and she climbs into bed first, turning toward him and watching as he promptly joins her.

“I-I'm still a little, uhm..." She pauses, a hand resting over her groin. “C-could we just cuddle for a bit?" She sheepishly asks, sitting up in bed.

“Mhm." He smiles and nods.

The pair slither further into her bed, lying on their backs, and Amanda tucks herself beneath his arm. With her head on his chest, her polished and manicured fingernails rake his fur. Adrian holds her TV remote and finds a good channel. Once they've settled on a station, he strokes the flesh of her upper arm and side, giving her the most pleasant of shivers.

“Mmmmm..." She sighs and coos.

Nuzzling his chest, she smells his lovely musk. It causes a faint stirring within, and a warmth to develop betwixt her legs, which she presses together. She gulps, feeling her urges slowly reigniting. She knows now that this must be the pheromones he's emitting, but she doesn't care. What they have is what she's been craving for some time now, with the exception of him being an AdvAnimal. Perhaps that's not so bad? Perhaps he's the man she needs in her life? The fact that he cannot leave to find other partners and betray her only makes him more appealing.

“Okay..." She murmurs.

“Hmm?" He looks to her.

“Later tonight, after I've recovered, we can do it again."

His smile widens and he teasingly pets her head. The next day, Amanda and Adrian wake early. The sun has barely risen. Thoroughly relaxed and refreshed, she groans as she stretches her muscles. After jumping into the shower together, they make their way downstairs, well ahead of everyone else. As she heads for the kitchen, Adrian only a few steps behind her, she glances at 'the pleasure cabinet', the armoire where the guys keep their stash of condoms and emergency contraceptive pills. Looking to and fro, Amanda hastily collects a package of Plan B before making her way into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, she takes some of the pills with a glass of water, buries the package deep in the trash can, collects a package of Pop-Tarts and promptly begins working on her laptop. There's little time for anything else. With a new resolve, she's determined to get them moving, today. No more delays. As she types, Adrian wanders about the kitchen. She glances at him several times, wondering what he's doing. She's never seen him drink coffee before, but he begins brewing a pot.

After finishing her work, she activates the wireless printer, which prints the step-by-step directions and some maps to the first of several satellite relay stations. It would be too risky to use a GPS device to guide them there. Suddenly, as she's about to rise from her chair, a furry hand appears over her shoulder. Adrian presents her with a cup of coffee! Taking the cup, she peers over her shoulder to see his smiling face.

Though she'd heard Jose's words and took them to heart, it's hard to believe that Adrian is so gentle and charming without feeling something for her. Unable to resist the urge, she leans closer and plants a kiss on the side of his snout. Adrian's eyes light up.

“Thanks... Uhm... This is still just between us, okay?" She quietly asks.

With a little chuckle, Adrian nods. He's willing to keep the secret, and so long as the girls don't snitch, she can continue to have him for a lover. After the pleasure he gave her those first two times, she knows she'll likely be coming back to him again and again. Thankful for his discretion, she gives him another much more passionate kiss, this time on the lips. They finish just as they hear footfalls coming down the stairs. Jack and Alessandra enter the kitchen.

“Well, you two are looking bright eyed and bushy tailed." Jack remarks.

“Hmm?!" Adrian twists his upper body and glances at his tail.

“It's an expression." He chuckles.

Amanda wastes no time and pressures Jack into carrying out her mission.

“Come on, Jack! We can do this! I mean, we're the ones designated to go, anyway! I'm just waiting on you!" She exclaims.

“You never stop, do you?" He grumbles.

“... No!!! This is important!"

“Fine..." He sighs. “We'll leave after Alie and I have had our breakfast."

Amanda can hardly believe her ears! True to his word, Jack slips outside and preps the surveillance van, disguising it as Comcast van. Alessandra watches Jack from a window the entire time. It's one of the only ways the AdvAnimals can bear to be apart from their mates; they need some sort of stimuli that makes them feel connected to their partner. Amanda and Adrian collect their equipment and weapons, packing light. Discretion may be the only way to pull this off.

Once they're ready, right around the time that everyone else has awoken and gathered for breakfast, Jack pulls the van around and the team climbs in. Alessandra hugs and kisses Jack for a moment, before resigning herself to the back seat. Amanda must sit up front, while the AdvAnimals stay in the back, out of sight. To further protect them, metal plates have been added to the few windows in the back, blocking them from view.

They drive for all of thirty minutes when it becomes clear that Jack requires a GPS; though she made her instructions clear and printed several maps for the varying stages of their journey, Jack misses several turns. Growing increasingly frustrated, she offers to drive in his place. Jack pulls over and shifts into park.

“By all means. This is your party." He chirps, sliding out of the driver's seat.

“Unbelievable..."

Taking over for him, Amanda quickly corrects Jack's mistakes, taking them onto the desolate Kentucky road he'd missed.

“See?! Was that so hard?!"

“Yes."

“You're kidding, right?" She glances at him, snickering and raising a brow.

“No! How the hell do you expect me to see that tiny sign while driving fifty-five and listening to you nag me?"

“I did it!" She retorts.

Jack slowly golf claps.

“What is it with you men and your sense of direction?"

“Well, maybe you should get him to co-pilot for you..." Jack murmurs.

“Huh?!" Amanda swiftly turns her head.

“Nothing..." Jack looks down at his lap, checking a device.

“That didn't sound like nothing!" She replies with a nervous tone, staring at him.

“I'm pretty sure you don't want to talk about whatever's going on with you and him." He begins, pointing a thumb toward Adrian, who sits in the back.

“I-I don't know what you mean..." Amanda murmurs, still staring at Jack.

“Oh, come on. You're not stupid and we sure as hell aren't, either. We could smell you two all over each other as soon as you came down for dinner last night!"

“..."

“We're not judging, okay? We're all with our girls, too. Some of us had a hard time adjusting to being with an AdvAnimal. Just don't overthink it. Whatever's messing with you and making you act all clandestine, it's all in your head." He says with a little sigh.

“..."

“Amanda?"

Concerned by her silence, Jack finally lifts his head and shifts his eyes, only to find Amanda staring at him, her mouth agape and a worried look on her face. He looks toward the road and quickly places his hands on the dashboard.

“Amanda! Look out!"

CRASH!!!