FSE

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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 15: Finders Keepers

Stepping out of the brand-new, blacked-out Chevrolet Impala, the Agent adjusts his sunglasses. It doesn’t matter that it’s the dead of night; so long as he’s on duty, the mirrored shades must cover his eyes. Luckily, the lenses are enhanced, and do not obstruct his vision, whatsoever. The passenger-side door opens and the car subtly bounces. He looks over the roof, watching as his partner climbs out of the car. With her clawed hands resting on the top edge of the opened door, she looks around the massive lot and distant field with wonder. She turns toward the structure only a few dozen meters away, her bushy tail visibly swaying as she cocks her head. The solid white Husky AdvAnimal is clearly intrigued by her new surroundings.

“Are you ready, Kris?”

“Mhm!” She turns to him and nods, a wide smile on her face.

“Good... But please, try to remember something...” He speaks in his dry, emotionless monotone.

“Hm?”

“When we are on duty, when other people can see us, we are not who we are. Do you understand?”

Krystal furls her brow, then slowly shakes her head.

“We are Agents, robots made of flesh, programmed to serve Sovereign Six. We do not think. We do not feel. We show no emotions. We follow our orders with inhuman coldness, because that is what the job demands. It keeps strangers from being believed when they speak of us, and it’s how we keep our subordinates in line.”

“Hmm...”

Krystal looks down, contemplating what he’s said. Her lips curl into a frown, and Agent Sharpe feels a tinge of guilt.

“I suppose, as an AdvAnimal, you don’t have to follow these rules... But I strongly suggest you not look so... Happy.”

Opening her jaw, she takes a breath and then nods, expressing her understanding in her own way. Leaving the car, the pair approach the closest structure. It’s the very same building that the imprisoned AdvAnimals had used to escape from the underground complex, which houses mostly holding cells and recreational areas for the creatures. A handful of labs exist primarily to correlate data taken from other labs at other bases. Swinging open the door and stepping in from the darkness, several security officers, who were so casually chatting a moment ago, instantly fall silent.

They turn toward the inhuman being that looks like a pale, blonde man in a drab, black suit. Following behind him, a female AdvAnimal, busty and with wonderful curves, wearing a tightly fitting, black bodysuit, glances at the officers. Her face is cold and stern, and she narrows her icy eyes, chilling them to the bone. Though she’s dressed in a familiar fashion, she wears no sidearm or gear belt, merely accompanying the Agent, who flashes his badge.

“Is she a trustee?!” A security officer asks.

“Why are you talking? Are you in charge?”

“Uhm... N-n-no, sir.”

“Then refrain from speaking and take me and my partner to whoever is in charge.” Agent Sharpe speaks in his eerie, soulless voice.

“Y-yes, sir. Right this way, sir.”

Approaching the Agent to walk past him, the canine girl bares her teeth and growls, making him jump. Agent Sharpe struggles to force down his amused smile. They follow the nervous security officer, who leads them to the main office. As they walk, Agent Sharpe scans his surroundings, making mental notes of the security. Swiping a card and pushing open a door, the nearly trembling security officer stands just inside of the room, holding open the door for the Agent and his partner.

“This is Chief Officer Koen, sir!” He exclaims, standing at attention like a well-trained Marine.

“Oh! I wasn't expecting you so soon! We’re, uhm, still sorting out the situation here and-”

“Please explain to me how a man, using a badge that contained a general encoding, brought a firearm into the base? Where are the metal detectors that I had installed?” Agent Sharpe promptly begins, interrupting Chief Officer Koen.

“Oh... Y-you, uh, heard about that already?” The Chief Officer asks with a quivering voice.

“I received the reports as I traveled here... Now, please explain your failure.”

“We, uhm... We had them removed.” Chief Officer Koen sheepishly replies.

“Why?”

“Well, once we began using trustees, they had access to move through the base freely, albeit with handlers. Because they are authorized to carry guns, they were setting them off all of the time. W-with the added security in the trustees, we didn’t think we needed them anymore.”

“Clearly... You were mistaken.” Agent Sharpe methodically adjusts his tie and cracks his neck. “Did you not pat down the lab staff, as I instructed you to do when I was overseeing security, last season?”

“Well, we were, b-but the staff! I mean, we see the same people all of the time, and after a hundred pat downs, we just, uhm...”

Krystal takes a few steps forward, moving almost silently on her paw-like, digitigrade feet. With her hands at her sides, she flexes her fingers, taunting the fearful Chief Officer with her claws.

“You just thought that security was no longer-”

“Wait!” Chied Officer Koen cuts off Agent Sharpe. “It's not like that at ah-”

Chief Officer Koen is cut short as Krystal lunges, grabbing onto his throat with one hand and his strong-side forearm with the other. Unable to draw his sidearm or even react to the sudden attack, he stumbles backward as the busty AdvAnimal woman shoves him against the nearest wall. With his degree of training, Agent Sharpe refrains from jumping, though she startled him as well, and even keeps his eyebrows from raising. He cannot, however, hide a very tiny smirk, a modest show of pride in his new partner. Krystal growls, glaring angrily at the Chief Officer, who now visibly shivers with fear.

“She doesn’t like it when people interrupt me.”

“I-I’m sorry! It’s just-”

“Don’t give me excuses...” Agent Sharpe growls.

Krystal squeezes his throat a little tighter.

“Y-you’re right... I made... A mistake.” Chief Officer Koen chokes out, his face turning red.

“Give him some air, Kris.”

Looking back at him, she waits for a moment. As soon as Agent Sharpe gives her a confirming head nod, however, she takes a step back, turns and throws Chief Officer Koen to the ground. He gasps for air, his color returning to normal. He rests a hand over his throat, and looks up at Agent Sharpe, who extends an arm and motions with his fingers. Krystal steps over Chief Officer Koen’s legs and takes her place at Agent Sharpe’s side, his arm running diagonally across her back.

“Now then... Who was the employee who spoke to this spy?”

Thoroughly dominated by the Agent and his loyal AdvAnimal, the vicious female Husky who seems to revel in the fear of others, Chief Officer Koen obeys his new master without question. He leads Agent Sharpe through the facility, guiding him to each and every room that the stranger had visited. A check of the computers showed absolutely no tampering. Connor’s software worked remarkably well. With Gold Base under lockdown and the vast majority of escapees safely contained within their respective cell blocks, it was not difficult to collect the employees.

It was an even easier task to find the woman who’d helped him. She’d been seen on camera, leading the stranger into a decommissioned lab, only to accompany him to her own lab and whisper to her as he passed her workstation on his way out. A brief interrogation proved fruitful, and Agent Sharpe was thoroughly impressed by Krystal’s skills in information gathering. Her ability to draw fear from her targets is remarkable, and the claw marks she’d left on the woman’s throat and face are superficial. They will heal in a week’s time.

Satisfied with the results, the woman was promptly detained and a transfer order made. She may not be able to continue in her current duties, but perhaps she may serve a purpose at Red Base, occupying one of the many, specially designed beds? It’s a good thing that she has no immediate family or any known boyfriends; there’s no loose ends for them to tie. As the night wears on and the dawn approaches, Agent Sharpe outlines a plan for tighter security measures. With the bulk of his work accomplished in one visit, he and Krystal return to his car.

“Kris.”

“Hm?” She stops in her tracks, one foot in the car as she peers over the roof at him.

“You did... Very well.” He says, flashing a little smile.

Krystal lifts a finger and taps her lips. Glancing back, he looks at the building they’d just left and the lot where he’d parked the car. Seeing no one around, he returns his attention to Krystal and continues to hold his smile.

“It’s okay. No one’s around. I was very impressed, Kris... I mean that.”

“Hm!” She flashes a happy grin, her bushy tail wagging.

“Ready to go home?”

She nods her head, her smile widening. Climbing into the car, Agent Sharpe drives them to the nearby city, where his current apartment is located. It’s barely dawn when he pulls into the parking garage of the up-scale apartment complex. It was chosen by Sovereign Six for its tight security, and the ease with which an Agent could come and go, undetected by the general populace. They choose where their Agents live and pay all of their bills, but the Agents must abide by a strict set of rules.

Entering the sparsely furnished apartment, Agent Sharpe slowly loosens his tie. Looking around the room as she enters behind him, Krystal is visibly surprised by the minimalist décor. While the overall apartment complex reeks of opulence, his furnishings would be familiar to a poor, community college student. She stands in the middle of the large living room and bites down on her bottom lip, her brow raised as she subtly nods her head. She looks toward Agent Sharpe, and appears to contain her amusement.

“It’s policy. I’m not allowed to stay anywhere for more than a few months, then they choose a new location and move me. All of my possessions need to fit in a standard sized cargo van. That’s all they provide, so as not to alert any neighbors of my presence.” He replies, tossing his tie atop the back of a cheap, futon couch.

Her brow softens, her expression taking on a hint of sadness.

“I can’t go shopping, either. I write a list and pass it along, then someone gathers the supplies and delivers them at three o’ clock in the morning... Here. Let me show you the bedroom.”

Following behind her new partner, Krystal walks through the hall and finds herself in an equally large yet modestly furnished room, containing a simple, twin mattress, a single nightstand and a lonely lamp with a built-in digital alarm clock. All of his furniture looks like it came from Value City or Walmart.

“Hm...” She hums, looking at his bed.

Hearing her vocalization and turning toward her, Krystal points between either side of the bed, a sinister little smile on her face. Agent Sharpe quickly catches on.

“Uhh, no... You can take the futon tonight, until I can order you a proper mattress. Someone will deliver it by the time we come home tomorrow. We can get you some different clothes, too, if you prefer.” He begins, opening up his closet. “I’m sure they’d want me to be nice to you, and I’d rather we not have an unpleasant relationship. I have access to things that might fit you, including shoes. It turns out Subject Zero is quite the fashionista.”

Krystal’s eyes grow wide as she looks at the contents of his closet. A large, green gun cabinet sits in a corner, across from a medium-sized safe that sits atop a cylindrical end table. More interesting than those, however, are the clothes. Hanging alongside a dozen identical suits are several articles of women’s clothing. A few black dresses, a red cardigan, and an assortment of feminine accessories. She approaches the clothes, reaching out and touching them gently with her fingertips, being careful not to scratch them with her claws.

“Hey!”

He reaches out and grabs her wrist, startling her. Krystal looks him over, now more curious than afraid. She raises a brow and pantomimes with her eyes, silently accusing the Agent. He sighs and takes off his sunglasses, his eyes filled with a melancholy that she was not expecting to see.

“Those once belonged to... Someone very special to me.”

With her softened brow, Krystal appears sympathetic. She pulls her hand away, looking over the pretty clothes for a moment, then lets out a soft sigh. He stares are her frown as Krystal bows her head in disappointment, feeling a tinge of guilt.

“Fine...”

“Hm?!” She turns to him.

“You can wear them, just... Be gentle with them.”

With an elated grin, Krystal turns toward the clothes and pulls them from the closet. She sets them out on his bed and looks them over. Agent Sharpe types in a code to unlock the gun cabinet and pulls the door open.

“Ready to pick out your sideah-”

He stops mid-sentence when he glances at Krystal, who’s already stripped off her black bodysuit. Her body is covered in solid white fur that looks as soft as the stuffing in his pillows. She turns around and faces him, cocking her head and looking curiously at the opened gun cabinet. His face flushes as he gazes upon her feminine splendor, her pink nipples and nether lips peeking out through her fur. The AdvAnimal girl seems blissfully unaware of her nudity as she dashes over to him, her large, full breasts bouncing and jiggling.

She stands before him, her snout so close to his face that he can feel her breath on his lips. A centimeter more and they’d be kissing. She brushes up against him, her breasts smooshing against his chest as she seems to direct him away from the gun cabinet. Krystal then abruptly pulls away, turning her back on him and rifling through his collection of firearms. Her tail wags as she looks through the contents of the cabinet. He can hear the metal clicking and grits his teeth.

“Okay! Just a minute, Kris...” He places his hands on her shoulders.

“Hm?!” She glances back at him.

“This is my personal collection. Don’t scratch up the finishes like you’re going to turn them in to the quartermaster later.” He continues, carefully directing her aside.

She stands beside him, resting her hands cutely atop her breasts as she watches him looking through the gun cabinet. Collecting a few firearms, Agent Sharpe turns back to her.

“How’s this? A stainless-steel Sig Sauer P232 in .380 ACP. That might suit you. Or how about this Glock 26? I also have a nice snub nosed .38 Special, and a .32 H&R Magnum that might be good options. Perhaps a .32 Seecamp?”

Looking over the weapons that he dangles from his fingertips, Krystal narrows her eyes. She slowly shakes her head, then presses a clawed hand against his chest and gently pushes him aside. Once again standing before his collection, she leans forward and looks around, stopping as soon as something catches her eye.

“Ooohh!” She coos.

Pulling out his stainless-steel Colt Python with six-inch barrel and custom Mag-Na Porting, Krystal’s icy eyes nearly pop out of her head. She holds the weapon by its grip and opens the cylinder to check it. It’s unloaded. She closes the cylinder and feels the trigger and hammer tension, testing it with considerable care. Thoroughly satisfied, she twirls the weapon on her trigger finger like a cowgirl, and flashes Agent Sharpe a confident smirk. He lets out a frustrated sigh, then holds up his previous offers.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather use one of these? That’s an expensive gun, and they don’t make them anymore... It’s in pristine condition.” He almost whimpers.

Ignoring him, Krystal rests the pistol along her body, the barrel tucked beneath her large, milky breasts. She extends a hand to him, holding out her palm in a silent demand.

“Fine...” He murmurs.

Agent Sharpe returns the other weapons to his collection and locks up the cabinet, before opening the smaller safe opposite his cabinet and retrieving ammunition for her chosen weapon.

“Here...” He grumbles, passing her a box of .357 Magnum JHP ammunition. “Just be sure not to shoot me by accident.”

With a proud smile, she makes her way back to his bed and sets the weapon and ammo aside, picking up one of Amy Chen’s black dresses, one of the few he was able to save without anyone noticing. He watches as the AdvAnimal girl slips on the dress, which covers her front and buttocks but leaves much of her back exposed. Her tail rather conveniently sits above where the dress covers her perfect butt. He cannot help but notice how similar her body type is to Amy’s. Slipping on the red cardigan and making sure her hair is neat, she turns toward Agent Sharpe and poses for him, resting her hands on her hips and jutting out a leg.

“It’s very pretty.” He replies in a soft, solemn voice. “I suppose it’s better you wear them, rather than have them collect dust in my closet.”

She nods her head, then collects her Colt Python and ammunition. Loading the revolver, she sits on the edge of the bed, beside his nightstand, and sets the weapon atop it. With a wide yawn, she stretches her arms and back. She glances at Agent Sharpe and smiles, then removes her hair clip and ponytail, stands to her feet and strips off the cardigan and dress. To his surprise, Krystal, once again as naked as the day she was pulled from her tank, climbs back into his bed and lies back, claiming his pillow and blanket as she makes herself comfortable.

“Hey, I said I get the bed.” He grumbles.

Opening her eyes and looking down at him, Krystal smirks and reaches over her, patting the small space and shimmying over, to give him room.

“... Fine. But I’m buying you a bed tomorrow...”

Leaving the room, he removes his suit jacket and shoulder holster, setting his Jericho 941 and spare magazines atop his cheap coffee table. He grabs a small pillow and the matching throw blanket from the futon and curls up on the startlingly uncomfortable couch. If he spent more time at home, perhaps he would’ve bought nicer furniture.

“Taking my Python, wearing Amy’s clothes, and now she steals my bed? Next, she’s going to eat all of my food, drink my Cokes and use all of my toilet paper.” He mutters while trying to become comfortable.

Though it’s often a struggle to fall asleep, even on his exceptionally comfortable bed, Agent Sharpe finds himself at ease. For some reason, merely knowing that Krystal is there is a comfort to him, and though he’s alone in his living room, he doesn’t feel alone, as he typically does. Perhaps the morning will bring him even more peace? As the sun rises high into the sky, he rubs his eyes and yawns. Glancing into the back of the van, where a makeshift bench seat had been hastily added before they left, Louis looks over three of the four AdvAnimal girls, who are resting.

Victoria, the horse girl, rests her head on a pillow that’s pressed against the wall. Next to her, Mackenzie, the mouse girl, almost a foot and a half shorter than Victoria, sleeps with her head resting on the mare’s right bicep. Samara leans away from the girls, an elbow on the backrest and her chin in her palm. She’s still awake but visibly exhausted, blinking her eyes and very slowly opening them. In front of the bench seat and running along the driver’s side wall, facing the sliding door, are a pile of cushions.

Acting as an impromptu couch, Jack leans back, resting against the cage, which protects the driver from shifting cargo. With a pillow to increase his comfort, he sleeps even through the bumps in the road. Tucked beside him and using his chest for a pillow, Alessandra looks quite cozy as she sleeps nearly on top of the bearded human in the rocker vest. Connor, the shortest of the men, sits in the computer chair that’s fused to the floor, looking as tired and uncomfortable as he can be, unable to rest his head to sleep. He stares at Louis, who watches from the comfort of the passenger seat.

“Are we there, yet?” Connor asks in a frustrated grumble.

“About another hour.” Donnie replies.

“... Wonderful.”

As the afternoon becomes evening, they finish the nearly twelve-hour drive, which they made with limited stops. With an enlarged fuel tank and several emergency gas cans, they only took a moment to pull over and refuel along the side of the road, on a desolate highway, away from prying eyes. Finally returning to their two-story, brick farmhouse, their primary dwelling, the men breathe a sigh of relief. With no neighbors for nearly a mile, they march the four girls through the front door.

Hearing them enter, Martin, who’d received a brief call from Donnie’s satellite phone just before they left, had stayed up to wait for them. Samara stops in her tracks as the unfamiliar man sits up on the living room couch, stretching his arms and groaning.

“Man, what took you guys so... Uh... Who are they?!” Martin asks with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I didn’t have time to tell you.” Donnie begins, bringing in cases of equipment. “These are the girls. There’s horse girl, mouse girl, cat girl and... I-don’t-know-what girl.” He points to each.

“They have names.” Jack shakes his head.

“Oh, and we burned the safe house down.” Donnie adds.

“You what?!” Martin gasps.

“They were being tracked with these little chips in the backs of their necks, so Jack cut them out and we torched the cabin. Sorry about that!” Connor chirps.

“But... That place was uninsured!”

“So? It’s not like it was under a real name.” Connor raises a brow.

“It’s untraceable, Marty. I got a new social security number for the ‘owner’ and drafted a whole fake identity for that safe house. Besides, it was just a cheap cabin.” Louis explains.

“It’s the principal of the thing! If you burn down a cabin under a false name, how long until you burn down a house that IS in my name? ... Like this one!”

“Jeez. Mr. Paranoia over here!”

“And you go kidnapping government property, too?!” Martin points at the girls, all but Samara looking nervously at the floor.

“Hey, they can hear you!” Jack retorts.

“This red girl over here-”

“Alessandra...” Jack interrupts Donnie.

“Yeah, well, she’s special. She has some regenerative power or something. Might make good evidence, to prove that Unifact and Sovereign Six are up to something sinister.”

“Can you guys not talk about them like they’re inanimate objects?!” Jack growls.

“Yeah, relax, you two.” Connor chimes in.

As the girls lift their heads and look to the two men who’ve shown them the most kindness, Martin takes a step back. He lets out a heavy sigh as he runs his fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp.

“Okay... Conference! Finish unloading later! We gotta talk!”

“Right now?!” Louis asks. “B-but, we need to bring in everything before someone sees!”

“Later. Let’s go.” Martin motions for his friends to follow.

“You guys have fun with that. I’ll stay out here, with them.” Jack replies.

In no mood to argue, the visibly unnerved Martin retreats into a back room. Donnie, Louis and Connor follow along, only for Martin to promptly shut the door. He stares at the door for a moment, as if looking through it, at the four humanoid women who suddenly occupy his house.

“What’s up, Marty?” Connor asks, as if oblivious to the situation.

“Okay... What the fuck! Are you seriously planning on keeping these things here?!” Martin suddenly spins around.

“Thinkin’ about it!” Donnie chirps. “Alessandra, at least.”

“You can’t be serious...”

“Why not?” Connor raises a brow.

“It’s not like we get visitors.” Donnie adds.

“That doesn’t matter!” Martin yells. “What if they come for them, huh?! What’s your plan, then?!”

“I’m sure they already tried that, but we removed their tracking devices.” Donnie calmly replies, his arms crossed as he leans against a wall.

“We can keep them hidden! We’re out in the middle of nowhere, and they don’t have any way to find them!” Connor yells.

“Well, what if they have more than one tracking device?!”

“I doubt that.” Donnie chuckles.

“If they had another tracker, they’d have chased us down long before we got here! Besides, once they release them to the public, it won’t look so strange, having them here!”

Listening to his friends shouting in the other room, Jack’s heart sinks. He’s certain that the girls can hear every word. After all, he already knows from reports they’d hacked that they have superior senses. Glancing over to the AdvAnimal women, who stand in a neat row, verifies his fears. They look to the floor or rest their hands on the bandages at the backs of the necks. Samara glares at the door with a seething anger, clearly resenting the opinions of his friends. Mackenzie nibbles on her claws, a look of fear on her face, as though her life might be in danger. Victoria turns her eyes toward a hanging mirror near the front door, staring at her own reflection with what appears to be disgust. Soon, Jack can bear it no longer.

“Hey, why don’t we go over here and relax, okay? They might be a while.”

He gently ushers them toward the other side of the house. They move sluggishly, with Victoria dragging her hooves. Seeing a couch near a coffee table, and a few empty chairs, the girls take seats and stare at the empty vase that sits atop the otherwise blank wooden rectangle. Jack stands before them, softly patting his hands together out of sheer nervousness.

“So, uhm... Do you want something to drink?! Maybe some real food?! The kitchen is right there. I could...”

He sighs, looking over the girls’ expressions. Taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table, they finally seem to notice him, all four women turning their attention toward him.

“Look, I know you’re uncomfortable and that this is all new to you, but please... Go easy on those guys. This is new to them, too, and they’re probably even more scared.”

Alessandra looks at the other women, and Victoria returns the gaze. Samara crosses her arms before her chest and turns her head away, showing her disapproval.

“Don’t be like that, Samara.”

She turns her head, visibly surprised that he remembers her name. Her tightly fitting, black bodysuit doesn’t have an embroidered patch like the others. Mackenzie cocks her head and stares at Jack with an expression that’s difficult for him to discern. Is it confusion, surprise or disbelief? She uses a clawed finger to point to him, and having grown accustomed to the nearly mute creatures, he deciphers her meaning.

“Oh, I’m not afraid, at least not like they are. I’m scared of the suits, but we’ve been hiding from them for years. We’re actually pretty decent at this.” He replies.

“Hm?!” Samara seems curious.

“I was probably more scared of AdvAnimals before, but... Well...” He flashes a little smile. “I saw a few things that started to change my mind.”

All four of the creatures look to him, visibly interested in his story. They seem to completely ignore the increasingly loud shouts that come from the back room on the opposite end of the farmhouse, which Jack can easily hear.

“Yeah, so, I was with Donnie-”

Samara promptly rolls her eyes and scoffs.

“This is good! I promise!” He chuckles. “So, I was with Donnie and we were spying on this family. They work for Sovereign Six, doing public relations stuff. The Burnhearts... I guess they created the first one like you. Harriet... I always got a kick out of the name, because they made her from splicing human and rabbit DNA. Anyways, they started showing Harriet on TV and it freaked everyone out. There were riots over you guys! ... Girls... So, anyway, we were spying on them, trying to uncover whatever was going on. I planted cameras in their apartment and everything! Then I saw it. How they were as a family...”

As he loses himself in the memory, the girls read him like a book. His emotions, his sincerity; Jack puts them at ease.

“They called Harriet their daughter, and she acted like it, too. But they have this other daughter, a human. Harriet was so good with her. They sat on the couch, watching cartoons. Their parents loved the both of them and you could see it! They looked like a normal family. Kind of reminded me of my own family, in a weird way... I saw how scared they were of the suits, too. I realized that they were prisoners. I bet they would’ve wanted a quiet life...”

As they sit and listen, enthralled by his story, Mackenzie turns her head and looks with surprise at Samara. She sits back on the couch, relaxing and even smiling!

“The fact that she likes heavy metal was icing on the cake! Yeah... That was the day I realized that I might have been wrong about AdvAnimals. I don’t doubt that Sovereign Six is evil as hell, but you girls? You aren’t so bad.” He says in a soft, soothing voice.

Looking to the four girls for a moment, the sounds of the argument begin to irritate Jack. He sighs and turns his head, looking in the direction of the back room.

“I wonder how long they’re going to keep that up...” He thinks aloud. “You girls shouldn’t worry. They may be a bunch of retards, but they aren’t assholes. You’ll be okay.”

Samara’s smile fades as she turns her attention toward the shouting. Mackenzie cannot help but share in the cat woman’s worry, though Alessandra and Victoria nod in acceptance.

“Come on, Marty! Where’s your heart?!”

“Underneath my brain, which is something you should probably start using!”

“Fine! ... How many girlfriends did you have last year?!” Connor demands.

“What?!” Martin furls his brow.

“Last year! How many girlfriends did you have?!” Connor reiterates.

“How is that relevant?!”

“Just answer the damn question!”

“I don’t know... Eleven? Twelve?” Martin shrugs his shoulders.

“You suck a math. It was fourteen. Remember Tasha and Becky?” Louis shakes his head.

“Oh, yeah...” Martin flashes a little grin. “I forgot about them... Becky was great in bed.”

“See?! You’re inside of a new girl every three or four weeks, but we don’t ever give you shit for your lifestyle!” Connor barks.

“You don’t ever see it! I just like to share with you guys!” Martin snaps back.

“Sometimes, it feels like bragging, Marty.” Donnie remarks.

“But that’s my point! You don’t live here! We live here! You’ve got that penthouse, paid for with the money we let you make! You get to live however you want and we never complain about it! Those girls?! They don’t have anywhere to go! You shouldn’t have any say in what we do at our house, where we do all of the work that benefits you! If we tossed them out, they’d be wandering around until some random person saw them, and if they weren’t some Puritan psycho out to hurt them, they’d call the cops or something, and you know those suits would show up and drag them back to that prison!” Connor angrily pleads.

“He has a point.” Donnie remarks.

“Oh, so now you’re taking his side?!” Martin gasps.

“No. You know I’m not the biggest fan of those... Creatures. I just said that he has a valid point.” Donnie calmly explains.

“You won’t hardly see them, so what do you care if we let them hide out here?!” Connor’s voice begins to crack from the strain.

“What about you, Louis?! Have you thought about him?! You’re always so quiet, man! What are your thoughts on this?! Back me up, here!” Martin urges him.

Glancing back and forth between his friends, Louis looks like a deer in headlights. The nervous, agoraphobic hacker clears his throat as the room falls silent.

“Well. I, uhm... I...”

“Come on, damn it!” Martin growls.

“Ease off him, Marty!” Donnie barks, stepping between him and Louis.

“Okay, so... I think that it’s obvious they don’t have anywhere to go, and while they make me nervous-”

“Everything makes you nervous.” Martin scoffs.

“Yeah, well, I would personally feel bad if they were wandering around, outside, lost and scared. I think I would feel worse about that than having them stay here.” Louis sheepishly replies.

“They’re not fucking puppies, man!”

“No, but even puppies have feelings, and so do they.” Louis speaks softly.

“Donnie?!”

“I already told you, Marty; Alessandra should definitely stay, because she’s proof that they’re doing more with these creatures than they’re saying. You guys can figure out what happens to the other three. They’re not my concern.”

“Alright... Okay! We’ll take a vote, then!” Martin grumbles. “Show of hands. Who wants them out? Minus Alessandra.”

Martin throws his hand into the air, and after a moment, Donnie joins him. Connor shakes his head and looks toward the floor. He glances toward Louis, who stares at the irate Martin. Martin’s right eye twitches as he stares back.

“... Well?!”

Donnie turns back, glancing at Louis with a softened and even worried look in his eyes. Donnie, like the others, has always been protective of Louis, just as they were protective of Connor, but Louis, whose nerves have only grown increasingly fragile over the years, has always been exceptionally close to Donnie. Even when he’d fled, faking his disappearance, Louis received special messages from Donnie. He was always there, even when he wasn’t.

“Okay... He’s not voting for this, Marty.”

“For fucks sake.” Martin grumbles, covering his eyes with the palm of his hand.

After taking a moment to brood in anger, Martin suddenly remembers Jack. He yanks open the door and storms out of the room, leaving the others behind. Connor soon darts after Martin, but Donnie keeps Louis company.

“I’m sorry, Donnie.” Louis murmurs.

“Hey, man...” Donnie drapes an arm over his shoulders. “Don’t be sorry. You voted your heart. We don’t always have to agree, that doesn’t mean I stop caring about you.”

“Thanks.” Louis flashes a little smile.

“And don’t worry about Martin, either. He’s always been a little full of himself.” Donnie smirks.

“A little?”

“Okay. A lot. You he doesn’t like to lose.”

Storming through the room, Samara immediately notices Martin. His angry posture and the way he stares daggers at her and the other girls puts her on edge. She climbs up from the couch and takes a bladed stance, her hand hovering near her pistol. Though the slide is no longer retracted and locked open, it’s unloaded. She hopes, however, that the display will be enough to prevent an escalation. He stops within arm’s reach of Jack, who leans back as he sits atop the coffee table, looking up at the athletic and well-dressed Martin.

“We’re taking a vote.” Martin growls.

“Oookay...” Jack raises an eyebrow.

“Keep them here. Yes or no?”

“Yes! Duh! What kind of stupid-ass question is that?!” Jack snickers.

Connor breathes a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his lips as he silently laughs. Louis soon joins in his joy, while Donnie seems unphased, merely standing in silence. Martin shakes his head and looks toward the ceiling. Seeing this, the four girls realize that they’re no longer in danger; they can stay. Samara turns to Jack and rests a hand on his shoulder, giving him a little squeeze. Her subtle show of thanks earns her a smile and a head nod. Mackenzie and Victoria hug each other, overjoyed by the turn of events. Alessandra lunges, startling Samara, who takes a step back as the lizard-like woman throws her arms around Jack.

“Okay! You’re welcome!” He flushes, feeling her breasts pressing into his back.

“Unbelievable... Fine! Keep your fucking pets, but don’t come to me if they get you into trouble!” Martin roars, collecting his suit jacket and his car keys.

“Buh-bye!” Connor mockingly waves. “Come see us again, soon!”

Storming out of the house, Martin slams the door so violently that it shakes the mirror free from the nearby wall. It lands on the edge of its frame and shatters. Samara watches the front door, her eyes narrowed. She doesn’t begin to relax until she hears Martin’s Lexus speeding away.

“Hey...”

Samara turns and looks down at Connor. At five-foot-seven, she’s several inches taller than him. He smiles with a startling warmth, looking into her eyes without fear or hesitation.

“Don’t worry about him. He can get an attitude sometimes, but he’s not a bad guy, and he won’t ever do anything to you. We won’t let him.”

Seeing his sincerity and curiosity, Samara cannot help but smile. Something about the man is intriguing. She finds it easy to trust him, and for the second time, she begins to relax. Looking around the room, she watches as Jack struggles to stand with Alessandra latched onto him. Mackenzie approaches Louis, who rather nervously offers to show her around the house. Leaping up from the couch, Victoria’s leg smacks the table and knocks over the vase, which Donnie swiftly catches. He doesn’t look upset, assuring the mare that everything is alright. Samara returns her attention to Connor, who holds out a hand and points toward the kitchen.

“I bet you’re hungry. I know I am!” He chirps. “I could make you something... If you want.”

With her smile widening, she nods her head and follows him into the kitchen. She glances back at the others, one more time. Her companions look so happy, not just because they’ve escaped from Gold Base, but because they have new friends. The men in their company are very accommodating, and even Donnie, who seemed so disinterested in them before, has adapted to a point that he reacts to the girls as if he's known them for years. Perhaps this is where they belong?