ND: LoveGun Part 9 (Choices)
Story by LiveIron on SoFurry
Alright, one last appearance.
Then it'll be in his hands.
The endings are out! The next few chapters contain them alphabetically, or you can use the hyperlinks in this chapter.
There's also a very important poll when you're finished if you have the time: https://strawpoll.com/polls/B2ZBE9bmzgJ
>You decide to take the stairs the last floor or two up-- if Cupid breaks those, well, you don't think you'd have to worry about the trial after falling a story or more.
>The maintenance guys that fixed the elevator were accompanied by an official of some kind; after checking to make sure you and Pat hadn't brutalized each other, they let you know that the time frame for the trial had been moved back by an hour. Essentially, you had the same amount of time as you did before getting in the elevator to get to your assigned room with Laura, a little wiggle room.
>The floor that the courtroom is on is only slightly less busy, but you take your time.
>"Mr. Anonerson?"
>You look to your left, and see a fennec fox has matched pace with you.
>"Cupid?" you say, just barely managing to keep a straight face rather than bare your teeth at him.
>"Yes, Valentine S. Cupid," he says, pointing to the little nameplate on his suit jacket. "You've got sharp eyes, Mr. Anonerson."
>His glow that immistakable orange.
>"I'm one of the assistants from Ms. Friar's firm-- we meant to get these out to you earlier, but this week has been a bit strange."
>He smiles as he hands off a manila envelope to you; stupidly, you decide to undo the tie and take a peek. It's a document of some kind, held together with a binder clip.
>When you look up to ask him what it is, the bastard is gone. You look around yourself in the busy hallway, but find no trace of him yet again.
>You grunt quietly in your throat, and take a better look at what the fox handed off to you-- and your eyes widen.
>It's a CU form.
>A CU form that's been all filled out, ink marks in your handwriting in every space save for the final certification space-- which is helpfully on the top of the stack.
>And of course, there's a matching empty space for your non-human partner.
>...
>God, what does that-- god think he's doing?
>You slide the paper back into the envelope and go on to the room you're meant to be in.
>Now? Of all times? He's sent you on a lot of dates this week, to be sure, but asking them to get a CU? There's no way any of them would bite!
>And you waited too long to use his ace in the hole, his magic bullet.
>You push open the doors to the conference room, and find it to be just as crowded as the elevator was when you first got in.
>"Ahh, glad to see you're still in one piece," Laura chuckles as you survey the room, getting guided to a chair.
>Almost everyone from the past week is there, each giving you a small greeting as they sit on one side of the room's large table.
>Rebecca gives a small wave, her smile much larger.
>Jen's smile is smaller, smug as she gives you a nod.
>Aki shoots you finger guns, evidently having recovered her composure.
>Jamie represents the yeens with a curt nod, and Talia sits next to you, whispering "hey."
>"Now that we're all here," Laura announces, her tail trailing over your shoulders slowly as she walks around to the empty side of the table, "There's one last matter of prepwork that the court wants me to do. We'll be watching a short video about proper court conduct, and about the importance of telling the truth."
>You could only imagine the reaction if the whole yeen crew were here.
>The cougar walks by, a finger trailing along your shoulders this time, and turns out the lights before hitting a button on a remote.
>A project in the ceiling starts up, and the far wall is graced by more State propaganda-- or as the seal on the video says, the "Anthro-Guided World Regulatory Commission."
>You do your best to tune out the bullshit, relaxing slightly in your chair. Take it as one final opportunity to rest, to relax.
>You set the manila envelop on the table quietly, absentmindedly, and slip your hands into your--
>There's something in your pocket.
>It is in your pocket.
>Slowly, carefully, you pull the Kolibri out, keeping it and your hands under the table as you slouch. No one pays you mind.
>You pull the slide back until you see that hint of metallic rose in the back-light of the projector.
>It clicks shut quietly as you let it go, and you take a breath.
>It's now or never.
MAKE YOUR CHOICE: