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The AdvAnTAGE Project

By

Mantrid Brizon

Episode 17: Blue Spherical Objects

Slowly opening her eyes, Mackenzie yawns and stretches her muscles. She looks around the room, turning her head as her amber colored orbs dart about. It's relatively quiet, and darker than usual. Is it night already? She's found it difficult to keep regular hours in her new environment; her new guardians keep the thick curtains drawn more often than not, and the women are not supposed to step outside of the manor, where the occasional passerby might notice them. Still, the change in scenery is a comfort, among other things.

The soft sounds of the voices and laughter attracts her attention. She looks toward the TV, which plays an old sitcom. Feeling the warmth of the body beside her, Mackenzie glances over and finds herself looking up at Victoria, whom she'd fallen asleep against. Slumped in the corner of the couch, the mare's mouth hangs open, her head tilted back and resting on a thick pillow as she softly snores. Mackenzie's eyes widen and the mouse girl, who leans far to her left, swiftly bolts upright upon realizing that she's inadvertently used one of the mare's ample breasts as a headrest.

It was not difficult, as Mackenzie is more than a foot shorter than Victoria. The mare remains blissfully unaware, an arm still draped over Mackenzie's shoulder as she softly snores. Lifting up her arm, the mouse girl gently rests the mare's appendage over her toned belly as she slowly slides away. Finding the remote control atop the coffee table, Mackenzie turns off the TV, only to hear a faint but soothing sound coming from the next room.

Rising from the couch and doing her best to leave Victoria undisturbed, Mackenzie creeps toward the archway. Poking her head into the hall, she peers across it and into the next room, where Louis sits in a chair, at his workstation. He types away on his keyboard, hard at work, as he often is. In the safety of the old, secluded farmhouse, a large, multi-story manor over a thousand miles from Gold Base, Louis scans the screen as he reads through the files that Donnie had retrieved.

A little smile slowly spreads across her face. The mouse's curiosity is overwhelming and she creeps even closer. Her paw-like feet make almost no noise as she inches toward the often nervous, blonde-haired man and his computer. Opening a new file, he scrolls with the arrow keys, thoroughly focused on his work. Suddenly hearing a subtle noise, the shifting of Connor's empty chair, he glances over to his right, only to see Mackenzie leaning over the back of the chair. She stands within arm's reach, illuminated only by the glow of his computer monitor, watching him intently.

“Oh, jeez!"

They both jump. Mackenzie takes a step back and turns toward him. He gasps, placing a hand over his chest, slowly shaking his head.

“You scared me."

Mackenzie bows her head, her brow softened as she shifts her big, amber eyes, looking both up and down at him. She appears apologetic. Mackenzie often gravitates toward the side-by-side workstations, where Louis and Connor spend much of their days. Louis sees her meek expression and her slumped posture, feeling a bizarre kinship with her. Throughout the years, his friends spent much of their time helping him feel as though he belonged, putting up with his nervousness and growing agoraphobia. Their patience and friendship are what brought him this far.

He knows all too well how it feels to be an outsider, even in a tight-knit group. Louis turns his eyes toward Connor's empty chair, then motions with a hand. Mackenzie looks at the seat, her hands caressing the backrest as she contemplates sitting down.

“It's okay." He speaks softly.

She looks toward him, only to see his faint smile as he gives her a single nod. With a little sigh, as if preparing herself, she pulls the chair back and sits beside him, looking toward him rather shyly, before turning her attention toward his computer screen. Though she'd been rather assertive in the move to escape from Gold Base, over the past few weeks, the girls have begun to relax in their new surroundings. They've begun showing their guardians their true personalities.

Shy and nervous, very much like Louis, Mackenzie usually keeps to herself, often feeling as out of place as she looks. She creeps from room to room, avoiding most of the others, especially the strange, human males who inhabit the house. She's still quite skittish around men, whom she has very little exposure too, as Gold Base contained almost exclusively female AdvAnimals, and an 80% female staff. The sole exception to this rule is Louis, whom she often watches. For reasons that she cannot understand or explain, he intrigues her, and she takes great comfort in his presence.

The other women seem oblivious to her, with Victoria being the exception. A very sweet but clumsy woman, the towering and strong mare has taken it upon herself to play den mother to the others; she insists on caring for the girls, not allowing Mackenzie the seclusion she often seeks. Victoria even enjoys cooking for the men, regularly presenting them with simple meals and drinks as they work. Her consistent care has made the last few weeks much easier to manage for the jittery mouse girl.

Louis turns his attention toward the screen, his focus returning to his work. Donnie may not have succeeded in copying all of the data, but what he did retrieve was more than enough to keep them busy. Thousands of files require meticulous reading, and Louis is nearly done with the last of them. As his finger taps the down arrow, Mackenzie's nerves begin to settle. She leans closer and slides the chair over, the warmth of her furry arm brushing his flesh. As his heart rate increases, his nerves rattling, he struggles to maintain his focus on his work.

Finishing with the file, he types out a few notes and then clicks on another file. Mackenzie pushes a little closer, her cheek nearly resting on his bicep as she reads with him. He gulps, and quietly practices his breathing exercises. It would probably be easier for him if most of the data wasn't useless, primarily consisting of order forms for lab equipment, clothes and food, and littered with code words that make no sense without the proper context. With little in the way to distract him, he finds his focus veering toward the warm body beside him. Finally, however, he learns something startling.

“Damn... No wonder they're letting you out." He murmurs, glancing over at Mackenzie, who turns her eyes up to look at him.

“Anything new? Hey, that's my chair!" Connor remarks.

Looking over at him, Mackenzie swiftly leaps out of his seat and hastily retreats, moving to the other side of Louis' workstation. It's as if she's afraid that the diminutive Connor might assault her for the slight.

“Uh... Thanks." Connor furls his brow, eying the jumpy girl.

Sipping his coffee, he steps closer and takes a seat, feeling the warmth that Mackenzie had left behind.

“Find something good?"

“Look. Here's a census. It gives the percentage of AdvAnimals at each location, but here's a total... As of last month, fifteen-million... Two-point-five million more expected by this December, and right here, another tally. 'Adults: three-million'." Louis reads aloud.

“Okay. That's kind of weird. Look at the gender ratio." Connor points to the screen.

“Yeah, I saw that... 75% female..." Louis murmurs.

“That's a lot of estrogen." Connor quips.

“If we account for the current sum total, that's 11,250,000 females to 3,750,000 males... Even with the upcoming batch, they won't have four-and-a-half million males. Why would they do that? Make so many more females?" Louis scratches his head.

“And what's this 'first gen' part? Are there multiple types or something?!" Connor exclaims.

Hearing their conversation, Victoria lifts her head and winces, groaning as she stretches her muscles. Mackenzie looks toward the mare, who takes an interest in their discussion. Her hooves clop on the hardwood floor as she approaches.

“I don't know. Maybe this has to do with what Donnie claimed he saw?" Louis speculates.

“You mean those videos?"

“Yeah."

“So, what? Like, first gens are grown and second gens are born? ... Naturally?! Is that even possible?!" Connor gasps.

Mackenzie and Victoria glance at each other, then to their guardians.

“I don't know... But this number is really small. Not quite four-hundred."

“... Are you sure Donnie even saw that?" Connor suddenly begins.

“What do you mean? You think he lied?" Louis rotates his chair, facing his friend.

“I only base my opinions on provable facts, and he doesn't have any. These records don't seem to corroborate his story, and for all we know, a 'second gen' might just mean some sort of improvement. Maybe a super AdvAnimal!" Connor speculates, his eyes growing wide. “Plus, he didn't save a single video to show us. That doesn't help his case."

“Well, that's because someone didn't allow for that in their super custom software." Louis remarks, smirking at Connor.

“Hey, you wanted it to be quick! In and out, you said! I wanted to make it idiot proof! I didn't anticipate him digging through files one at a time! ... I digress... We both know how Donnie is. He's got that vendetta..." Connor glances at Mackenzie and Victoria, who suddenly seem unnerved. “Maybe it's clouding his judgment?"

“Is that what you think?"

Turning in their chairs, Louis and Connor see Donnie standing in the background, at the foot of the stairs. He glares at Connor as he steps closer.

“You're almost as quiet as she is." Louis tilts his head toward Mackenzie.

“That's why I like carpeted stairs..." Donnie grumbles.

Feeling the tension growing in the room, Mackenzie looks between Donnie and the two seated men. She decides that it's time to go and quickly departs, her arms crossed before her chest and her snout angled toward the floor as she makes her way into the kitchen. Seeing her growing anxiety, Victoria is torn between comforting the dainty, five-foot-nothing mouse girl, and staying with her savior, Donnie. Regardless of his personal feelings toward her race, it's hard to ignore what he's done for her. In the end, she stands still, watching the conversation unfolding before her.

“I saw what I saw. Videos of humans with... Them." Donnie glances at Mackenzie, who peeks at him from the kitchen. “And what they were doing to human women? ... Man, whatever they have planned, it's sick. I'll admit it; now that they've been here for a little while, I doubt these creatures are aware of Sovereign Six's plans, but that doesn't matter, because I sure as hell am. If you don't trust me after all these years, if you want proof so damn bad, maybe help me find a place to dig, and I'll go digging for you!"

“Relax, Donnie. He didn't mean anything by it." Jack speaks up.

Turning back, Donnie looks toward the basement. Emerging from the dimly lit staircase, Jack carries an assortment of firearms and cleaning supplies. Walking toward the couch and coffee table, Samara and Alessandra follow along. They, too, were with him in the basement, and carry an assortment of ammunition and a large, cleaning kit. Jack carefully lines up the weapons as he sits on the couch, Samara and Alessandra joining him. Samara takes the chair nearest the couch, while Alessandra, who's been fixated on Jack since the moment they'd met, sits directly beside him. Without saying a word, Jack motions to Samara with a hand, holding out an empty palm.

“I'll clean yours first, then you can have it back, okay?"

Removing her red and black SCCY CPX-2 from her holster, she rests the firearm gently in the palm of his hand. Taking out the loaded magazine and retracting the slide, Jack removes a live 9x19mm jacketed hollow-point cartridge from the weapon and sets it lovingly atop the table, right beside her magazine. Donnie's eyes grow wide and his jaw hangs open.

“What the hell, man!" He yells.

“What?" Jack raises a brow.

“You loaded her gun?!" He gasps.

“You know, Samara isn't an idiot. None of them are..." Jack begins, glancing at Alessandra, Victoria, and then Mackenzie, who's still peeking from the kitchen. “I've been watching these girls for the last few weeks, and they grasp their situation. They can't go anywhere; they won't get far if they hurt us and run off, and I certainly have no intention of hurting them. They don't, either." He points between Louis and Connor.

Alessandra presses herself against his side, her smile widening as she watches Jack once again coming to their defense.

“They know that, especially Samara. So, yeah, I loaded her gun, because I think she'll be an asset. I'll load their guns too!" He looks between Victoria and Mackenzie, while motioning with his head toward Alessandra. “What do you think of that?"

“Un-fucking-believable..."

“Well, if it bothers you so much, you can always try to take it from them." Jack smirks.

Samara flashes a sinister grin and narrows her icy eyes, glaring at Donnie, who's caused her so much trouble. Shaking his head and grumbling to himself, Donnie walks away, his boots thumping with audible anger as he returns to his guest bedroom.

“That's what I thought." Jack snickers. “Okay. So, to take it down, first, pull back the slide and remove this pin..."

Connor watches Jack with the two AdvAnimal women. Samara, the feline, pays close attention, while Alessandra only appears to desire Jack. A strange little smirk spreads across Connor's face, perplexing Louis.

“What?" Louis quietly asks.

“Oh, just thinking."

“About?"

“About how even the strangest circumstances can quickly become normal... Look at that. They share a fondness for guns and suddenly he forgets." Connor explains.

“And what about her?" Louis points to Alessandra, who rests her chin on Jack's shoulder.

“That's something else..." Connor murmurs.

Hearing their hushed voices from across the room, Samara glances toward them, acknowledging their conversation but ultimately paying them little attention. Unlike her handlers at Gold Base, Jack actively teaches her about her equipment, trusting her in a way that no one else has.

“Do you think that's a bad thing?" Louis asks in a whisper.

“Nah... I mean, I'm still getting used to them, but it's a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be." Connor replies, staring at Samara.

“Yeah... It is."

Louis turns his eyes toward Mackenzie. Noticing his gaze, she bashfully looks away, her head bowing as she glances down at her feet. After a moment, however, she shifts her eyes upward, staring at Louis, whose face flushes as soon as their eyes meet. He clears his throat and turns his chair around, returning his attention toward his computer. With her weapon cleaned and reloaded, Jack presents Samara with a small cleaning kit: a flexible rod, a little bottle of cleaning lube, a brush and some patches. It neatly fits into a pouch on her belt. It once contained a radio, which was broken in the skirmish, during her escape from Gold Base.

By then, Victoria has entered the kitchen, where she first comforted Mackenzie, embracing her and petting her head, before attempting to cook for her little tribe. As the smoke alarm begins beeping, irritating the sensitive hearing of the AdvAnimals, Jack, Connor and a wincing Samara race into the kitchen. Jack pulls the battery from the alarm, to safeguard the girl's hearing, while Connor finds Victoria backing away from a blackened casserole, a cloud of smoke billowing out of the appliance.

With a hand covering her mouth, the mare looks down at the diminutive Connor, then turns her eyes toward the others. Samara shakes her head and crosses her arms beneath her bust, while Mackenzie uses an old newspaper as a fan, swinging it up and down and blowing the choking cloud away from the ruined meal. Sneering at Victoria, who looks thoroughly ashamed for the mistake, Samara takes a step forward.

“Hey, it's okay." Connor begins, looking between Samara and Victoria.

“Yeah. No harm, no foul." Jack adds, using an oven mitt to remove the pan.

“It was an honest mistake... Again." Connor remarks, flashing an amused grin. “How about some sandwiches?" He asks, looking back at Victoria. “Can't burn P.B. & J!"

After a little pause, the mare slowly shakes her head, thankful for their forgiveness. Samara watches as Connor collects the supplies for her, presenting them to Victoria in the hopes that she won't break anything. Though thoroughly annoyed by Victoria's consistent blunders, made even worse by the faint ringing in her ears as a result of the smoke alarm, it warms her heart to see how gentle Connor is when faced with a situation that so deeply presses her buttons. The feline woman cannot help but smile.

After making a mixture of peanut butter and jelly, and ham and cheese sandwiches, they eat and lounge around the computer stations until it's time to go to bed. Ever the gentlemen, Connor and Jack escort the women to their bedrooms, while Louis cleans up, unwilling to risk letting Victoria handle their china, unsupervised. After taking the time to clean up and check the doors and windows, as is their nightly routine, he makes his way to bed to endure another dreamless sleep.

Awakening the next morning, Louis climbs down the steps only to find that Connor is already awake. He heads for the stairs with bundles of sheets and pillowcases in his arms, which reach nearly to the top of the shorter man's head. He peeks around the pile as he carefully feels for a step. He takes a shaky step, struggling to maintain his balance with the cumbersome load.

“Do you need some help?"

“I can do it!" Connor snaps.

Taking a step, and then another, Connor begins to wobble from side to side.

“Oh, shit!"

“Here..." Louis takes the entire stack, saving Connor from a fall. “I'm closer."

“Well... Fine..." Connor grumbles. “I have more laundry to do, anyway!"

Frustrated by his failure, the five-foot-four Connor makes his way back toward the basement. Louis shakes his head. Why must he push himself like that? Connor has nothing to prove, at least not to anyone in this house. Carefully turning around and climbing the steps, Louis turns down a different hall, heading for the bedrooms that belong to the AdvAnimal girls. He softly knocks on the first door, struggling to hold the heavy cargo. After a moment, he turns the knob, eager to lighten the load. Taking a step inside, a startled Samara whirls around and points her pistol at him from across the room.

“Woah! It's just me!" He jumps nearly out of his shoes.

Samara lowers her weapon, holstering it and letting out a frustrated sigh. She shakes her head, then points at the floor with the claw of her trigger finger. Louis gets the message, squatting down and dropping off the bottom bundle of sheets and pillowcases.

“Sorry."

Slipping back into the hallway and closing the door behind him, he moves to the next room. He softly knocks, then hears the clopping of hooves. When she doesn't open the door, Louis announces himself, then turns the knob. He takes a step inside and pauses. With her blue cardigan resting at the end of the bed, Victoria stands shirtless, her arms above her head as she slips on her tightly fitting, silver top, which matches her skirt. Her breasts, large and full and perfectly formed, draw his eyes like a magnet.

They're exceptionally big, even for her size, and are easily the largest among the four women. As she slips her top over her breasts, he finds himself wondering what her cup size might be. While they'd ordered their clothes on-line, a replacement to the prison-like jumpsuits that all of the girls, except for Samara, were wearing when they escaped from Gold Base, no one dared ask to measure their busts. They left the girls without bras, simply purchasing panties and clothes that the girls liked, and which sounded like the appropriate sizes. This has led to interesting results.

In Victoria's case, her clothing is nearly skin-tight, though she doesn't seem to mind, even as she struggles with the only button on her cardigan. She looks to Louis and smiles so innocently. She was well aware that he has been watching her, though nudity rarely seems to bother the women, with one exception. This has been the hardest adjustment for the men, whose level of modesty far surpasses their new roommates. With her hooves clopping on the floor, Victoria collects the top bundle of sheets and pillowcases, bowing her head in silent thanks.

“You're welcome."

As she turns toward her bed, the mare's long tail, which nearly reaches to the floor, swishes through the air and smacks a lamp. As it wobbles from side to side, she swiftly turns back, dropping the bundle to the floor to steady the lamp before it falls over.

“Oof!" Louis winces as her tail smacks him in the face.

She looks back and her brow softens, her gaze a silent apology. As she squats down to collect the bundle, he steps out of the room and makes his way across the hall. Louis knocks on the next door, and after a few soft thuds, the knob turns and the door creaks open, a red hand having given it a pull. Alessandra's tail, glossy crimson skin speckled with black dots, slithers past the door like a giant snake as she returns to her bed. Pushing the door open and stepping inside, Louis stops in his tracks.

With her back turned, Alessandra is completely nude! She looks down at several clothes, all the same style but of varying colors. Lifting an arm and scratching her head, just behind a pointy ear, he gets a good look at the side of a large, full and perky breast. His face flushes and he clears his throat. She glances back at him, completely unconcerned as he stares at her naked form. She points a red claw at a table, silently instructing him to leave the bundle.

Louis obeys, setting the next bundle atop the table. As he turns to speak to Alessandra, he freezes solid. His face turns beet red as she stands at the foot of the bed, bending over as she collects an orange skirt. For a moment, he can see the black flesh of her nether lips.

“Oookay... Well... Ahem, if you, uhm... Need anything." He murmurs.

With her bottom half now covered, Alessandra turns around, slipping on her matching top and tying it at the front. She very briefly and carelessly flashes him, then looks to him and reveals a similarly innocent, unconcerned smile. Like Victoria, she is neither interested in him, nor ashamed of her nudity. Making his way for the door, Alessandra looks past him, watching the hall. Like clockwork, as soon as Jack crosses the hall, heading for the staircase, her smile widens. She slips by Louis, taking a moment to teasingly pinch his cheek as she passes him.

With one last stop to make, Louis stands before Mackenzie's door and takes a deep breath, preparing himself for anything. Unlike the other three females, the mouse girl is far more demure, though he suspects it's because of her anxieties and not an ingrained modesty; if she were more confident, like the others, she'd likely act no differently. Instead, what he fears is a shrill cry before she runs away. Knock, knock, knock.

“It's Louis! I have clean sheets and stuff!"

After a moment, he hears his knocks being returned. Opening the door, he's thankful to see Mackenzie sitting atop a table and brushing her hair. She sets the brush aside and begins to braid it, pulling it over her right shoulder, a little smile on her face as she looks toward a distant, wall-mounted mirror. Wearing a light-colored summer dress, his eyes scan her form. Her bust is much smaller than the other women, and her figure dainty and delicate. His eyes stop as soon as he notices her pink panties, peeking out from beneath her dress.

Mackenzie's eyes shift, only for her expression to change. She immediately notices Louis' gaze. Feeling her stare, he turns his eyes up, his face flushing as his heart begins to race and his body trembles. To his surprise, rather than take offense, Mackenzie looks at him with a little smile, her brow softened with an adorable shyness. She takes a hand and rests it near her groin, slowly pushing down her dress to block his view, but all she does is draw attention to her shrouded womanhood. If he didn't know any better, he'd think that this was intentional.

“Uhm... H-here are your c-clean sheets... I'll j-just set them... Er... Right here!" He stammers as he sets the bundle at the foot of her bed.

Mackenzie bows her head in thanks, her eyes fixated on the jittery human. He gulps, clears his throat and nearly trips over himself as he walks backward out of the room.

“S-so, uhm... See you at breakfast?!"

She slowly nods her head.

“Great! I-I'll make sure Vicky doesn't burn your corn flakes." He shyly jokes.

“Hehe."

Making his way down the hall, he tries to calm his frazzled nerves. Why is it worse around Mackenzie, when the other girls make him more uncomfortable overall, and in Samara's case, downright terrify him? The mouse is at least endearing. Perhaps that's the reason? If he had more experience with women, like Martin, then maybe he would know the answers.

“Are you alright?" Donnie asks as Louis reaches the bottom of the stairs.

“Huh?"

“You're trembling."

“Oh! Uh... Yeah..." Louis nervously scratches the back of his head.

“What's wrong this time?" Donnie asks.

Thinking back on it, Louis is fairly certain what's got him so rattled. Fearful of speaking sweetly about Mackenzie, however, and attracting Donnie's ridicule, he thinks fast.

“Oh, nothing... I just startled Sammy and she pointed her gun at me."

“She did what?!" Donnie exclaims.

“It was a mistake. She must not have heard me knock." Louis replies.

“Some mistake! And stop giving them cutesy nicknames!" Donnie growls.

“What's wrong with that? He's getting comfortable around them." Jack remarks from inside the living room.

“Yeah, and don't blame Samara, either. It'll probably take them a while to be truly comfortable in this house, around us." Connor says, emerging from the basement.

“There you go, rushing to their defense!" Donnie shakes his head.

Making her way down the stairs, Samara stops in her tracks.

“Don't climb on my back because I'm willing to cut them slack."

“I wouldn't ever climb on your back. I don't want to crush you." Donnie snickers.

“Hey, man..." Jack remarks.

“Why you son of a-! No... I'm not going to explode... I'm not going to explode, because being nice to women who are struggling to adjust to new surroundings isn't a fault, and I don't need to respond to your childish insults."

“Aww, come on!" Donnie chuckles.

“No! You come on! Samara never did anything to you, and neither did the others!"

“What?! When I first met her, she shot at me!" Donnie exclaims.

“Whatever... Stop being such a prick and back off! Let them prove themselves! They just might surprise you!" Connor snaps.

A little smile spreads across Samara's lips, curling around her short, feline snout. Walking down the steps, Donnie turns as she enters his peripheral view. Connor looks to her and smiles, then turns around and walks into the kitchen. Passing by Donnie, Samara's smile fades; she cannot help but snarl at him. Seeing Alessandra on the couch, already cozying up to Jack, however, brings it right back. As Donnie shakes his head and walks away, Samara looks toward the kitchen archway. Stepping inside, she finds herself alone with Connor, who glances back and waves to her.

“Hi, Samara."

“Mmm..." She waves back, wiggling her fingers.

Stepping closer, she stands directly behind him, looking down at him for a moment. Sensing her presence, and feeling her hot breath on the back of his neck, Connor slowly turns around. He looks up at the feline woman, who is three-inches taller than him. Shuffling to the side and taking a step back, he presses his back against the refrigerator door. Samara steps closer, extending an arm and planting a clawed hand on the freezer door, just behind Connor's head. Bringing her face closer to the human, she flashes a sinister grin, her icy eyes scanning him from head to toe.

Her snout brushes his face as she softly and sweetly nuzzles him. Connor gulps, his breath shaking. He looks upon the feline woman, her voluptuous body on full display in her somewhat shiny, skin-tight bodysuit. When the other women were choosing clothes to replace their jumpsuits, Samara was the only one to reject the offer, preferring her trustee uniform. Her nose brushes his cheek. Soon, he feels her lips giving him the softest of kisses. Unable to resist, Connor reaches out a hand and rests it on her hip.

“Ooohh..." She nuzzles his face and gives his cheek a proper kiss.

As the blood rushes to his loins, Connor's hand slithers around, inching toward her taut buttocks. Her tail sways so gracefully as she stares into his eyes, her lips hovering over his.

“Listen, Donnie, you really need to lay off..." Jack remarks, glancing over to his friend, who slumps back in a chair. “I know you have your issues - you've got that angst and prejudice down pat - but it's pretty clear that we don't share those opinions."

“Oh, that's perfectly clear..." Donnie grumbles, glaring at Jack, who drapes an arm over Alessandra.

“Good! So be a pal, and shut the fuck up!" Jack chirps.

“Hehe!" Alessandra giggles, slithering even deeper into his arms.

Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest, Donnie appears to pout as he turns his attention toward the TV. Making her way down the stairs, Mackenzie follows Victoria, who looks into the living room. Seeing Donnie, Victoria cannot help but smile. She steps inside the living room, but Mackenzie's focus is elsewhere. Peering into the room across the hall, she finds Louis already seated at his computer. Approaching him silently, she clears her throat so as not to scare him.

“Hi." He looks back and smiles. “Just getting her warmed up before breakfast."

“Hm!" She rests her hand on his shoulder.

“Alright... And now to grab a Sprite and we'll be all... Set..." He murmurs, typing in his security code.

Louis rotates his chair and begins to climb out, only for Mackenzie to hold out a hand. She keeps Louis seated before making her way into the kitchen.

“Thank you." Louis flushes.

Walking into the kitchen and turning to the right, she looks at the refrigerator and stops in her tracks, her eyes growing wide. With their lips locked, Samara pulls back a little and tilts her head, thoroughly invested in the exchange. Mackenzie can see their tongues. Finally noticing the intruder, Samara finishes the passionate kiss before glancing at the mouse girl, who's so rudely interrupted them. Connor's face flushes and he softly scratches an ear, a nervous reaction to being caught with Samara.

With her hand planted firmly over his shoulder, the human is pinned against the refrigerator by the taller and more aggressive female AdvAnimal, who so clearly desires his affection. The sight, however, is rather amusing to Mackenzie, who nibbles on a bottom lip and turns her eyes away.

“Sprite, right?" Connor quietly asks.

Mackenzie nods and Samara responds, grabbing onto Connor's shirt, pulling him into her chest, reaching behind him and then pulling open the refrigerator door. He reaches back, fumbling through their considerable collection of soda pop, before passing the green can to the mouse girl. Taking the can and stepping back, Mackenzie gives the odd couple a second look. Picking up right where they left off, Samara drapes an arm over Connor's shoulders and kisses him, unconcerned by their witness. Now feeling as though she's intruding, Mackenzie returns to Louis.

“Thanks, Macky." He replies, cracking open the can. “Y-you don't mind if I call you that, right?!"

“Mm-mm." She shakes her head, glancing back at the kitchen.

Watching Louis work, Mackenzie's hand creeps closer to him, eventually coming to rest on his shoulder. With Victoria's hooves clopping loudly as she makes her way into the kitchen, the mouse watches her intently. The couple must have stopped when they heard her coming, as the mare doesn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. She simply opens the refrigerator, gathers some supplies and begins preparing breakfast for her little tribe.

After cooking a proper meal, everyone marches toward the rear of the manor, where Martin had shipped them a new dinning set upon their request. Having finally put it together, they now have a large, rectangular table made of polished oak, and with ten matching chairs, one at each end and four along either side. Louis, Connor and Mackenzie take seats along one side, only for Samara to stand beside Louis, narrowing her eyes and glaring.

Growing nervous, Louis sheepishly rises from his seat, to Connor's surprise. Samara swiftly claims it for herself, scooting a little closer to Connor, who cannot help but give her a bashful smile. Now without a chair, Mackenzie waves him over, pulling out the chair directly beside her. Jack sits across from Louis, with Alessandra immediately claiming the chair to his right, and Donnie, unwilling to sit directly beside her, leaves a space between them. Victoria sets out plates of food, serving Donnie first.

“Uh... Thanks." He raises a brow, watching the mare closely.

Looking toward his friends, Connor and Jack appear thoroughly amused, silently teasing Donnie for the extra attention Victoria gives him; Connor makes a kissy face, while Jack repeatedly inserts his left index finger into his right fist. After passing out the plates and drinks, Victoria claims the empty seat between Donnie and Alessandra, looking down at him and batting her eyelashes. It's a quiet, uneventful and somewhat awkward breakfast, though Victoria outdid herself. She didn't burn the food or drop a single glass. With Alessandra and Victoria cleaning the plates in the kitchen, Louis and Connor return to their stations, flanked by Mackenzie and Samara, respectively.

“So... What'd I bring you?" Donnie asks, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

“Okay, so... We'll accept that what you claim you saw on those videos is what you actually saw." Connor begins.

“Good! Because it is!"

“Assuming it's legit 'tests', and I'll use that word loosely, and not some kind of kinky sex tape collection made by sexually deviant scientists, then we need proof." He continues.

“We'll also need more data on these 'second gens'. There's no mention of anything about them other than most of them seem to be from a place called 'Red Base'." Louis interjects.

“Well, that sounds like a clue! I can start there." Donnie replies.

Upon hearing this, Victoria's hands cease their scrubbing, her stare looking straight through the dishes and into the ground beneath the house. Seeing this change, Alessandra, who's drying the dishes, rests a hand on her shoulder, snapping the mare out of her trance. She looks to the crimson, lizard-like woman, her softened eyes silently apologizing.

“We don't know where that is, though. Gold Base didn't keep those kinds of records. The closest we have is the state." Louis explains.

“Oh, joy..." Donnie sighs.

“What state is it, anyway?" Jack asks.

“Somewhere in Texas." Louis casually replies.

“Gee, that really narrows it down for me." Donnie quips.

“Hey, you only have a quarter-million square miles to search!" Connor teases.

“We'll try some soft hacks and see if we can find something more substantial. If we do, we'll do a deep dive and see what we can pull for you. Might be able to narrow it down." Louis continues.

“Good. That gives me time to prepare. I'll have to be even more cautious the next time I infiltrate a base." Donnie remarks.

“How about a fake mustache?" Connor chuckles.

“... This is a shadow government base, not your parent's bedroom." Donnie retorts.

“When are you going to leave?" Jack turns to Donnie.

“Tomorrow morning."

Victoria loses her grip, dropping a plate back into the soapy water. It clanks against other dishes as it falls back into the sink.

“I'll take today to set up my gear and pack."

“You might want to take a few hours to chill, though." Jack remarks.

“I probably should... That's a looong drive!" Donnie says, stretching out on the couch.

Taking Jack's advice, Donnie forgoes packing for most of the day, instead spending his time with his friends, watching TV, playing video games and discussing DnD strategies until the sun sets. Victoria spends that time within twenty feet of him, her watchful eyes perpetually glued to his form. When he no longer has a choice, he accompanies Connor and Louis into the basement. Victoria sits at the top of the steps, peeking around the stairwell and watching him.

They collect electronics and computer equipment from large, industrial shelving they'd installed, just across from a series of gun safes and more shelves holding tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. Donnie packs a bag, moving unusually slowly. Leaving the stairs to use the bathroom, Donnie glances back to see if Victoria is still there.

“Man..." He sighs, looking down at the bag. “I wondered how long she was going to sit there."

“I think it's kind of cute." Connor remarks.

“It's pretty clear that she likes your company." Louis chimes in.

“It was making me feel bad, though."

“Why?"

“She looks really sad. I just... I don't want her to be so upset." Donnie replies.

“Well, now! That sounds like you give a shit!" Connor chirps.

“Hey, I don't know if I'd go that far! But... I don't know." Donnie runs his fingers through his hair as he takes a moment to think. “She seems like a nice girl... Er... Creature!" He shakes his head as he corrects himself. “And, uh... I don't know why."

“I don't think I follow you..." Louis raises a brow.

“Yeah. Use your words." Connor teases.

“She shouldn't be upset. She shouldn't even be nice to me! I don't deserve it. I haven't really been good to her, and now I have her following me around like... I don't know... She'd be better off not caring about me, and whether or not I'm here. I don't want to burden her with that kind of bullshit."

“Sounds like you feel guilty." Louis casually replies.

“Do I?"

“It's okay to feel bad for being a jerk. That just makes you human. Even if you only see her as an animal, the fact that you regret not being nicer to her tells me that you're burdened by her pain. If that's the case, I think you should make it right, even if it's only for your sake." Louis explains.

“I don't know. The way I heard that, I assumed he felt bad because he doesn't want her to miss him, and he cares enough about her feelings that he wants her to be happy, even if he's not." Connor interjects.

“..."

Taking his bag of gear upstairs, Donnie swiftly stops as he nearly runs into Victoria, who's finally returned from the bathroom. She bows her head and averts her eyes, a melancholy look on her face.

“Hey... Look, uhm..."

“Hm?" She turns her big blue eyes toward him.

“Did you... I don't know... Maybe want to, uhm... Sit with me and watch a movie or something?" He sheepishly asks.

“Mhm!" She nods, a smile swiftly spreading across her face.

Joining him in the living room, Donnie sorts through the massive collection of movies while Victoria waits for him on the couch. To his surprise, she seems fond of Ghostbusters. He suggests a handful of more serious sci-fi films, and though she's agreeable, he can tell that she only does it to please him. Feeling the guilt creeping in, he begins playing Ghostbusters. As they watch, he looks to her several times, even more surprised by how captivated she is by the film. She looks quite happy, and for some reason that brings a smile to his face.

With the ending credits about to roll, Donnie looks over to Victoria one more time, and contemplates showing her a modicum of affection. Reaching out a hand, it trembles. Why is he so nervous? He sets in on her leg, drawing her attention. She cocks her head and smiles so innocently, her sapphire eyes staring deeply into his. He's taken aback their beauty. Why does that affect him so much? Moving his hand from her leg and draping it over the back of the couch, he scoots a little closer. Victoria becomes visibly anxious.

“So... Did you like it?"

“Mhm..."

“Oh, good... Me too... Ahem... I know I heard someone watching it a few days ago. Was that you?" He rests his hand on her back.

She nods her head again.

“I thought so... Look, uhm... I just wanted to say... I'm sorry, if I hurt your feelings before."

Gently pulling at her, he silently asks for a hug. Victoria, however, looks quite shocked. She sits perfectly still, her eyes growing wide. Donnie gulps as the mare looks more like a deer in headlights. Has he been mistaken the entire time? Was he over-thinking all of this? Is he the one who's attached to her?! Suddenly feeling very foolish, Donnie pulls his arm away and turns, facing forward as he sits on the couch, his eyes wide with embarrassment.

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

“Mmmm!" She coos as she abruptly lunges at him.

“Ahh!"

Shifting from her weight and the force of her sudden embrace, the couch flips backward and they find themselves tumbling onto the floor. Lying on his back, Victoria holds onto him, the bottom half of his face smooshed between her ample breasts. At about 220 pounds, her size and weight crush him into the hardwood floor. He flails an arm, trying to gain her attention, giving her butt a smack.

“Ooh!" She giggles and squeezes him a little tighter.

“Breathe..." He chokes out.

Sitting upright, she straddles his lap and looks down with a wide smile, only to furl her brow and cock her head at the strange look on his face. Is that pleasure or pain? Footfalls draw closer, and as Donnie gasps for the air that he'd been denied, he finds himself looking up at Jack and Alessandra. Victoria waves to them, blissfully unaware of how much weight she puts on him. He taps her legs and she finally understands.

Rising up just enough, he scrambles out from under her. She stands to her hooves as Jack struggles to flip the couch back onto its feet. Attempting to be useful, she grabs the back of the couch and heaves, flipping it over in the other direction and crushing the coffee table.

“Oh..." She covers her mouth with embarrassment.

“Eh, that table was cheap, anyway." Jack murmurs.

The mare looks to Donnie, who stares daggers at her. Jack and Alessandra carefully return the couch to its proper place, then begin to collect the broken pieces of the ruined coffee table. Too frustrated to think, he merely turns and shuffles his way out of the room, up the stairs and back to his guest bedroom, leaving Victoria in the living room with the others. He crawls into bed, his body sore and mind reeling. Though he almost expects it, Victoria never checks on him. Perhaps she's too embarrassed? He can hear the footfalls of the others as they eventually retire to bed. For some reason, however, his friends escort the girls to their rooms.

“Have a goodnight, Samara."

“Mmm..."

Connor and Samara stare at each other for a moment, her tail slowly and gracefully swaying behind her. Jack motions with a hand, presenting Alessandra's room to her. She flashes a lusty smile, her emerald eyes scanning his form. Walking slowly past him, she reaches out a hand and gives his butt a smack.

“Erm... Goodnight." Jack's face flushes.

She takes a few steps forward, her long, thick tail curling to one side and brushing against his back. It pulls gently at him before slithering away, as though she were inviting him to spend the night with her. Louis walks with Mackenzie and Victoria, the latter of whom hangs her head and sulks. They reach Victoria's bedroom first.

“Hey, Vicky..."

“Hm?" The melancholy mare looks back at him.

“Please don't be upset with Donnie. He isn't usually here with us; he's always by himself. It's going to take him longer to adjust."

Slowly nodding her head and cracking a modest smile, she shuffles her hooves as she enters the room. Taking Mackenzie a few more feet toward her door, she stands before her room and stares at Louis.

“Well, uhm... I-I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

“Mhm." She nods.

“Hey, Macky..."

“Hm?"

“May I?"

She cocks her head and waits, a little smile on her face. Leaning closer, Louis trembles as he gives Mackenzie a warm hug. To his simultaneous elation and surprise, she shivers as well, her nerves equally rattled. Pulling away so that her can look he in the eye, he leans in and gives her a quick peck near her lips. He was so nervous that he missed. Mackenzie's lips contort in a strange manner, as though she wanted to smile, laugh and cry all at once. However, she cannot help but stick out her tongue and gently caress the spot where his lips touched her, before bashfully bowing her head and turning her eyes up to him.

“W-well then... G-g-goodnight." The trembling Louis stammers.

Turning toward his friends, both Jack and Connor watch him with amused grins and raised brows.

“... What?"

Though they say nothing, they pat him on the back as they return to their own bedrooms. Tossing and turning, Donnie struggles to sleep. Awakening from a nightmare around one o' clock in the morning, Donnie slowly opens his eyes. He pants for air and shakes his head, taking a moment to gaze upon the scar that decorates his arm. He leans back in bed, staring at the ceiling and closing his eyes.

Suddenly, a strange sound draws his attention and he sits up in bed. It's coming from the next room, which is doubly odd, considering that the room next to Donnie's guest bedroom is a study. Squeak, squeak, squeak. He can hear the springs of the day bed being repeatedly compressed.

“Nnnn!" A muffled voice comes through the wall.

“What the..."

He sits up, shifts and places his ear closer to the wall, at the head of his bed. Thump. Thump. Thump. The wooden frame of the day bed in the study bumps against the rug covered, hardwood floor. Thump, squeak, squeak, thump.

“Mmmm-ahh!" A woman's voice suddenly cries out.

“Nnnn-yeah! Ooohhh..." A man's voice groans with obvious pleasure.

“Ahh-ahh-nnff-ahh!"

It's finally clear to Donnie... He's hearing one of his friends having sex with one of the AdvAnimal girls! Though he now hears their voices, the pleasured cries of the female and the grunts and groans of one of his friends, the wall muffles them to a point that he cannot discern who they are. Even if he knew the man's voice, the girls cannot speak, and their hums and coos aren't enough to know them by sound. It could be any one of them.

A wash of emotions overwhelms the flabbergasted Donnie, who slides back down and stares at the wall above his bed. First, he feels shock that they'd do such a thing. Are they so desperate for sex that they'd risk awakening the others?! As he dwells on this thought, he begins to feel disgust that a human would ever want to enjoy the feminine splendor of an AdvAnimal. They may be females and very humanoid, but they aren't human. Curiosity comes next, as he wonders exactly who would be so desperate, who would stoop so low, and finally... Jealousy. It's this last emotion that shocks him the most.

Sitting alone, in a dark room, and hearing two people enjoying each other in carnal passion, Donnie cannot help but be jealous. He hasn't been with a woman in so long, he doesn't dare count the months. Perhaps it's years? Donnie's heart sinks. He cannot tell who the woman is. What if it's Victoria?! What if his frustrated rejection has diverted her attention toward someone else?! An anger grows within him, and suddenly Donnie is left to reflect. Why is it bothering him so much? Those girls aren't even human!

Clearly, there must be something wrong with him. Redirecting the anger at himself, he snarls as he grabs the sides of his head. How dare he feel jealousy over something so perverse! Why should he care if it's Victoria?! Lying down in bed, all he can do is grab a spare pillow and cover his head, trying to drown out the sounds of the unknown lovers. It's a noble but feeble effort, and he's forced to endure listening to them for some time.

Eventually, the couple achieve their goal, and their moans and groans become less prominent before disappearing altogether. It isn't until that moment when Donnie can return to sleep. When morning finally comes, Donnie awakens to a knock at his door. Hastily slipping on his clothes and opening the door, he finds Victoria standing there, his empty duffle bag in her hands. Without waiting for an invitation, she brushes past him and begins packing his clothes.

“You don't have to do that..." He speaks softly.

She ignores him, moving sluggishly as she folds and packs each and every article of clothing.

“Hey..."

He reaches out and grabs her wrist, finally gaining her attention. She turns to face him, steps closer and throws her arms around him, giving him a startlingly gentle embrace. Suddenly, he hears her whimper.

“It's okay!" He assures her, slipping his arms around her waist and giving her a squeeze. “I'm not leaving forever. Just for a little bit!"

“Hm?!" She pulls back, visibly startled.

“I hope you didn't think that I was never coming back." He smiles warmly at her.

“Heh... Mm-mm!" She nervously chuckles before quickly shaking her head.

“Oh. Good. Because it was bothering me, seeing you so sad."

Pulling him in, she hums happily and gently sways, and though she still looks disappointed that he's leaving, the fact that he'll return has lifted her spirits. Following him downstairs, Donnie looks into the living room, softly chuckling at an amusing sight. As Jack sits on the couch and watches TV, trying to eat a bowl of cereal, Alessandra stands behind him. With her forearms on the backrest and alongside his shoulders, her hands rest upon his chest and she pushes her ample breasts against the back of his head. Her chin sits atop the crown of his head and she slowly sways her buttocks from side to side, her long and thick tail swishing in the opposite direction and forming a crimson wave.

“You know, you don't have to stand there... You can sit down." He says, patting the space beside him.

“Eee!"

Overjoyed, she happily vaults over the back of the couch, plopping her butt atop a cushion, bouncing the human and nearly spilling his cereal.

“Woah!" He struggles to hold the bowl upright as Alessandra slides closer, pressing herself against him. “There... Isn't that better than standing?"

“Mhm!" She nods, her head resting on his shoulder.

“Oh, hi, Donnie! You leaving?!"

“Yeah. Need to get an early start if I'm going to make it to Texarkana by tomorrow afternoon. That's a good enough place to wait." He replies.

As Donnie opens the front door, he looks down at his other bags of equipment and digs out the keys to his Ford Mustang. Stepping outside, Victoria, who's so faithfully followed him up until this point, stops at the threshold. He stares at his car in the circular driveway, then glances toward the distant highway. Without another car in sight, he looks back and stares at the mare for a moment.

“Want to say goodbye?"

Her eyes light up and she promptly collects the rest of his bags, her tail swaying as she follows him outside. Though it's been weeks since she set foot outside of the house, she doesn't seem remotely interested in the sunshine and fresh air. Her gaze remains fixated upon Donnie as she follows him to the hatch of his fastback muscle car. Loading his gear, Donnie turns toward Victoria, immediately noticing the crowd gathering at the door.

Everyone watches them, but he no longer cares. He spent the night pondering his thoughts. Now, seeing her standing there, so eager to spend time with him, only waters the seeds in his mind. Holding out his arms, he motions to her with his fingers. She takes a step closer, rather shyly stepping into his grasp.

“I'm sorry for being an asshole. I don't mean to be." He begins.

Bowing her head forward, Victoria softly nuzzles him, resting her chin atop his head. He rubs her back, his arms giving her a little squeeze.

“All the things that have happened to me... They've made me bitter. I've spent most of my life angry. I don't want to be angry anymore. Half the time it doesn't even make sense... I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'm going to make you a promise. When I come back, and only if you want to, we can spend time together... Maybe, if you're still interested, we can get to know each other, and then I'll tell you why I'm such a pain in the ass."

“Hehe." She giggles, then nods.

“Okay..." He pulls away. “I'll be back, and we can see how that goes."

“Mmm!" She coos, unwilling to let him go.

Eventually, however, Victoria relents and Donnie pulls away. He closes the hatch of his Mustang, climbs into the driver's seat, turns the key and starts his big block, 5.0L V8 engine. Slowly pulling away, he glances into the rearview mirror and his heart breaks a little. Victoria stands there, slouching and very slowly waving to him. Jack is soon forced to dart outside and bring her back into the manor, before any passersby see her.

Driving down the highway, Donnie repeatedly glances toward his empty passenger seat. Though he gave her his promise, and he sincerely means it, it shocks him that he wishes she was filling the empty space. A flurry of emotions swirls around him. He's too melancholy to even turn on the radio.

“Man..." He sighs, taking one last look in his rearview mirror. “What the hell's going on with me?"