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Archer was having the most wonderful dream. He dreamed he was actually fucking his wife after such a long hiatus and it was wonderful. Lena was just as he remembered her; wildly passionate, remarkably tight, and all around nearly feral as she rode him into the ground.

”OoOh YES! Right there Love!” Lena cried as Archer rocked his hips up into her waiting vagina. The feline brought herself down on Archer’s cock causing him to groan in pleasure as she teased him with her speed. She agonizingly slid up and down his shaft, all the while dripping juices “Tell me how bad you want to breed me baby!” she whined as she nibbled on his ear. Archer found himself struggling to formulate any words, all he could do was grip her hips tighter as they both picked up speed once more. Lena cooed and purred as Archer took the lead and rolled her onto the back. He wasted no time and immediately went back to pummeling her pussy. PLOP, PLOP, PLOP and Lena’s cries were all Archer could hear and it stirred him on even more.

To see his female on her back giving into his ministrations was more than enough boost to keep him rock solid as Lena went over the edge. “AHHHH ARCHER!” she cried as she leapt up and bit him. It was something Archer had been timid of but now couldn’t get enough of. She loved using her teeth and it just so happened that he loved the feeling of them on his neck. She was rough but oddly gentle, breaking the skin and drawing blood, but never causing pain. But this bite was different, Archer’s eyes shot open as soon as she made contact with his neck and to his surprise he wasn’t dreaming and there Lena sat. Dick buried inside her with her jaws around his neck. As She removed her teeth from his neck the events of yesterday came flooding back and he almost did a double take.

He couldn’t believe that this was the same cold hearted wife of his from just a few days ago who wouldn’t so much as give him a kiss on the cheek. Now here she was ass out, begging to be bred like a dog. The two stared lustfully at each other before Archer pulled her into a kiss. He forced her mouth open as he hungrily explored her mouth. After her first climax Lena had become a like putty in his hands, a little softer and more submissive as he had his way with her. The two pulled apart for air huffing and puffing as Archer moved her onto her stomach. Lena sat lazily with a big dopey smile on her face, just waiting for Archer to continue.

”Lift your tail.” Lena shivered at the tone of his voice and with a few wags hiked it up presenting her very used and swollen sex. Archer bent down and drug his tongue slowly across it causing his lover to purr uncontrollably. She looked back with half lidded eyes and her tongue lulled out, panting in anticipation for what came next. Archer grinned and pushed only a little of himself at a time inside of her. Both of them gasped in pleasure at the intense feeling, for no matter how many times they did this it always felt amazing. “p-please . .” Lena rasped. Archer nodded knowing exactly what she needed and got to work, no more teasing.

He clutched hips once more and took to pumping himself inside of her once again. Lena took hold of the bed sheets and buried her face in a pillow as she felt his cock pushing up against her inner walls. “F-Fuck Babe! You get tighter?!” Archer grunts as he forces Lena back with every thrust. The snow leopard is beyond words and only wriggles her hips weakly as her lover works her from behind. She briefly remembers all the times she had blown this off after work and she hates herself for it. ‘I needed this’ she thinks as Archer slaps her ass. “m-more! D-don’t hold b-back!” She barks at him. “Didn’t plan on it.” He huffs while bringing his hand down on her backside again. Archer smacks her ass again and again much to her pleasure. She won’t be able to walk right and even after a shower any animal with a decent nose will know what she had been doing but she couldn’t care less.

Archer flips her back onto her back and she finds herself staring up at him loving, lost in ecstasy as he dutifully pleasures her. “When did I become such a sub?” She half wonders as Archer manhandles her left tit. She can hardly think straight as he swirls his tongue around the nipple and playfully bites down on it. “OoOoOh a-archer!!” Archer can feel himself close to the edge and he doesn’t try and prolong it, he instead picks up the pace as he tries to bring both of them over the edge. “p-please h-harder!” She begs, trying her best to keep up with his savage like rhythm. He’s fucking her as if this is the last time they ever will and she loves every second of it. Lena can feel her walls tightening and his member throbbing so with the last of her energy she wraps her legs around his waist and locks the tow of them together as Archer fills her with rope after rope of his hot sticky seed.

Archer doesn’t bother pulling out of her and instead just plops down on top of her. The couple embrace each other and settle down as they bask in the afterglow of their love. Lena buries her snout in Archer’s neck and breaths in his scent. It’s a potent scent, surprisingly earthly seeing as he doesn’t go out much, but she can’t get enough of it. She had never been big on scent marking before but now she wants to make sure not only her scent is plastered all over him but his scent is as well. She rubs her snout across the crook of his neck and only stops once she’s satisfied he reeks of her. No words are said as the two shift in each other’s embrace comfortably and rest soon follows as their hearts settle into a sleepy rhythm.

Archer awoke to the smells of a traditional breakfast. He could smell the scrambled eggs, the thick cut bacon, and the sweet scent of cinnamon toast. He got up groggy eyed but alert and hobbled his way into the dining area, looking for the source of the smells. The half asleep human rubbed the crust from his eyes and stood there shocked as he saw Lena cooking. In their 10 years of marriage she had never so much as fixed a sandwich but here she was preparing breakfast?

Archer slowly approached but with a twitch of her ears she heard him and said “Good morning my love! How did you sleep?” Archer still thinking he was dreaming replied “Like a baby. Say since when do you know how to cook?” Lena just laughed at the question and continued preparing plates for the family. Archer was intrigued as she really did seem to know what she was doing, even going the extra step to prepare a near feast of other small delicacies.

“Wow I’m impressed honey. You made all this and it looks delicious!” Lena’s tail began to wag furiously at his praise causing her to reply “Thank you Love! I wanted to do something special for the greatest husband in the world.” Lena walked over and gave Archer a rather innocent kiss, but as his hands got a grip on her hips it quickly devolved into a frenzied face sucking match. Lena needy whines and pants already sounding off so early in the morning.

Archer was tempted to take her on the kitchen counter right there but the couple stopped once they heard Lily stumble into the dining room. The sleepy child seemed oblivious of her parents actions and sat down at the table, head down and half asleep. Archer patted the top of his daughter’s head while Lena brought him a plate saying “Do you have plans today Archer?” Lena eyed him suspiciously as he reached for his glass of orange juice and took a drink first, as if the he needed time to ponder the question. Once he was finished he idly tapped his thighs and said “No not really, did you have something in mind?”

“Well I was thinking when I got off of work today we could all go out for ice cream. Do something together for once.”

“That’s a great idea and I know Ms. Sleepyhead over here will love that.” Archer shook his daughter rousing her from her sleep and said “You hear that? Mommy’s going out with us for ice cream!” Lily’s eyes shot open as she ran towards her mother, enveloping Lena in a huge hug saying “Oh thank you thank you Mommy!” Lena just smiled as she embraced her daughter, ecstatic that she was showing her love.” Once the two broke apart Lena served everyone and watched intently as they ate. Archer took notice and with a raised eyebrow he opened his mouth to question her about it, but ultimately decided not to. “She’s acting strange . . Though whatever’s gotten into her I hope it doesn’t leave.”

After breakfast it was time for the morning routine, Lily and Lena getting ready and taking off for the day. Both females went about it as if it were another day, yet Archer still felt as if something were off. He stood in the kitchen scrubbing the dishes while Lena got ready but his intuition was telling him something was wrong. Archer shrugged off the feeling as his nerves seeing as he was in for another day of investigating the conspiracy. He glanced over at the clock and as if on cue he saw Lily dart over to grab her lunch then out the door. “One down one to go . . .” Lena’s humming could be heard as she rustled around for her purse. Once the snow leopard was finished she skipped over and gave Archer a kiss on his cheek saying “I’ll be back after six and then we can spend all the time we want together Love.”

“Don’t stay gone too long or I may just come looking for you.” Lena smiled then with one last kiss made her way out the door. Archer put the last of the dishes away and waited for the sound of her car leaving to make his move. Once Lena was out the driveway Archer sprung for his study and packed his things. His main goal was figuring out where 425 could possibly be before Lena did. 656 wasn’t very helpful when it came to learning what the key could be but Archer had hopes for 425. She essentially did what Lena did so chances were she at least knew what the key was or could be. Unlike 656, 425 seemed to be a bit more sporadic. She’d been spotted at least twice in several different parts of the city and there was no telling where she would be at any given moment. The hunt was seeming hopeless but Archer was sure even a contracted assassin could still be a creature of habit. Perhaps there was still some clue or pattern to follow?

The private eye finished his packing and made his way to the car. After throwing everything in he pulled out and made his way towards his first stop for the morning unbeknownst to him, he was being watched.

Lena sat parked down the street away from their home like an eagle waiting for their prey. She let Archer pull quite a ways ahead of her before she started to follow him. She had tailed suspects for years in a variety of different situations, so as Archer made his wide and graceless maneuvers she couldn’t help but smile. “You’re making this is too easy Love . .” As she followed him she noticed they were making their way downtown extremely close to where she worked. She would have chocked it up as a coincidence if not for Archer pulling into the diner across the street from where she worked. Lena slowed her speed down as she watched Archer get out of his car with a work bag of some kind. “What are you doing here husband?” She asked while driving towards the back of the diner.

Lena surveyed the diner and grimaced as she realized she couldn’t just waltz in to get a closer look. She could easily disguise herself but even so it’d be hard to hide from Archer if he decided to scrutinize her appearance. She wracked her brain on what she could do until she remembered her own work bag. “Ah of course how could I forget!” She said while rummaging through the oversized duffel. Lena pulled out a rectangular box and smiled at it. “Hello my old friend. Ready to do some more eavesdropping?” She tossed the box up and down a couple times as she thought what to do with it. The box was an analog listening device, very dated technology by modern standards but the device had proved helpful on numerous occasions where technological devices were prohibited. She eyed Archer carefully as she stepped out of her car, she needed to draw him away from his booth inside if she was going to be able to plant the device. She thought about a way to get him outside when she remembered that she had a key to his car too. She raw a paw over the panic button and smiled saying “Gotcha!”

She slunk towards the side of the establishment then pressed the panic button. Archer’s car siren began to wail and scream wildly causing him to look out the window in panic. He hopped up from his booth and came sprinting outside to see what had happened completely leaving his work unattended. Lena took advantage of the distraction and quickly ran inside towards his booth. Once there she slipped the device into his jacket coat and was about to make her way out when she noticed what he was working on.

She noticed the large city map he had sprawled out with several numbers in different areas. Though more pressing to her was the paper next to the map with the word key on it. The paper was covered in notes and theories it looked like, all ranging from lost nuclear codes, to a government mind control plot. It seemed as if Archer were looking for it or at least researching what it could be and the thought frightened Lena. She wanted to stay and confront him but she noticed him closing his car door and making his way back towards the diner.

The snow leopard quickly went the opposite way towards the kitchen and weaseled her way out the back of the diner. Once back outside she quickly returned to her car to listen in on what Archer might be saying. “Where are you 425? The city’s big but it’s not that big.” He shuffled a few more papers around and pulled out Lena’s orders, intent on skimming back through them for any missed clues.

“425!? Archer knows who that is!?” Lena was very familiar with 425, she had gone on plenty of assignments with the skunk and Lena was never a fan. The two worked fine together but 425 always had ulterior motives on their missions. That’s why she was ordered to eliminate . . . her. Lena’s eyes bulged open as she realized that she had gotten completely sidetracked from her mission. Lena mentally slapped herself at the realization and genuine worry began to set in. Archer was working as a double agent, looking for the key, AND 425 was still on the loose, not to mention 004 as well. The snow leopard buried her face in her paws and sighed loudly. She was in trouble and she knew it. An agent dodging being scrubbed was bad enough, but she was a one of the best in the agency, she could talk her way out of that but Archer? “Love . . . why’d you go and do this to me?”

She thought back to her encounter with 656 and Archer posing as 302, which made her chuckle a little. He even had the audacity to poke fun at her about it, the entire exchange flying completely over her head. Lena wondered how long Archer had been at this and why she was just finding out now. She couldn’t imagine him having done this when Lily was just born. He was the reason she was able to get back out in the field so quickly after giving birth, he took to child rearing like a fish to water . . . Looking back she wished she had been more attentive to the both of them, perhaps things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did?

Lena sat in her contemplative state until one of her phones started ringing, killing the mood. “God please not the one I think it is . . .” the nervous feline reached into her purse and with eyes shut pulled out on of the phones. Lena’s face instantly fell into a frown as she pulled out the phone for not only was it her work phone, it was also who was calling. She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves for the inevitable bad news then with a final mental push she pressed the answer button saying “Go for 22.”

”Where are you Agent 22?” Lena shook her head silently scowled at the question. The caller already knew the answer but insisted on messing with her all the same. “At the diner across the street Director, enjoying my day off.” The sarcasm in her voice wasn’t lost on the Director as he said “Apologies for the inconvenience but it’s come to my attention we need to have a talk of sorts. 10 minutes, my office, don’t be late. ”

“On my way Director.” As soon as she had finished speaking the Director had hung up, which was fine with Lena. She hadn’t seen the Director in person in what felt like forever. The only people who interacted with the Director face to face were new recruits interviewing, directors from other branches, government officials, and blacklisted agents that had the misfortune of being captured and brought back. She grimaced at the thought of being blacklisted, at the most she’d be suspended for the mishandling of her assignment, it wasn’t like she’d committed a major infraction. Lena looked over at Archer and saw him checking his watch, ‘no doubt trying to keep track of my time hehehe.’ Despite the potential trouble he may have been about to cause her, she was still finding herself very attracted to him. The thought of losing him to another agent was now a real probability and Lena would do everything in her power to not let that happen.

The feline looked off over at Archer longingly one last time before starting her car and heading off towards her meeting.

Lena brushed a few strands of fur off of her blouse and took a deep breath. She was about to enter the lair of a real life demon and she was dreading every second of it. She’d infiltrated prison complexes, assassinated political leaders, and sabotaged all manner of investigations but nothing was more frightening to an agent than a meeting with the boss. Lena didn’t bother knocking and walked right in, she didn’t feel like dragging this out any longer than need be. She took a few steps inside then stopped as the hair on her neck rose up, something was wrong and she could sense it. The room was completely dark, not a spec of light being illuminated anywhere except from the door she had just walked through. Lena closed her eyes and tuned her ears into her surroundings, hoping to catch any clue as to what lurked in the dark.

The room was near silent except for a very subtle shuffling on the carpet . . . something or someone was moving into position to attack her. She kept her eyes closed and trained her ears on the barely audible shuffling sound. It sounded as if it were getting closer and closer until it suddenly stopped. She strained herself harder to listen, but failed to pick up anything. She steadied her body in anticipation for an attack for with the conditions she were in it were almost imminent. She opened her eyes once more to try and make out a figure in the darkness and she could just barely see the outline of someone only a few feet from her. She squinted harder to make out what sort of pose they were in but it mattered not when the figure lunged for them.

Lena stepped back instinctively and brought her arms up in defense. The figure took a wide swipe at her and caused Lena to hiss out in surprise. She couldn’t see her arms well but from the tickling sensation she could tell she was slashed with a blade. She adjusted her footing to a staggered fighting stance and flexed her claws. Director or not she wouldn’t hold back, and it seemed the figure had the same plans. They made another pass for Lena, drawing their blade in quick flurry like slashes, but the assassin gracefully dodged every one. Her attacker made for another wide slash across her midsection but Lena avoided the attack with a backhand spring. She flipped backwards on her paws and rolled back onto her feet, much to the annoyance of the figure. The dodge was showy and unnecessary but she was always one for theatrics.

Realizing that they wouldn’t be able to score anymore easy hits on her, the figure retreated back further in the room much to Lena’s frustration. “The Director’s being a real asshole today I see. He wants to draw this out and I can’t let him . . .” Lena thought while thinking of her next move. She immediately threw off her shoes and got down on all fours. With all paw pads on the ground she arched her back up as if she were about to take off running. This attack was all one big showy feint and she was hoping the Director didn’t know that. For most animals it was impractical to maneuver around on all fours let alone fight someone like this. Lena had only ever used the move when dealing with opponents she couldn’t easily get close to. As long as the Director held the knife he held the best defensive options. She’d need to be unorthodox to get him to slip up.

She waited and prowled side to side in hopes of enticing him out of the shadows. She knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her at an offensive disadvantage and she was right. The Director came barreling out of the shadows and tried to surprise her with a sweep kick. Lena smiled viciously and leapt over the attack with jaws wide open. She landed on top of him and immediately took to latching onto his shoulder. He grunted in pain but she latched on tighter, striking a nerve along the way. The Director dropped the weapon in shock and tried using his other arm to beat her across the snout but as long as she held her jaws on his shoulder he was fighting a losing battle. The Director kept up his assault of punches to her head but Lena retaliated by jamming her claws into his chest.

They were razor sharp and broke through to the skin with ease presenting the Director with little option but to stop. With his good hand the Forwent punching and instead submissively tapped Lena’s thigh. The assassin gave one last warning squeeze to the shoulder before letting go and crawling off of him. The Director shakily stood to his feet and in a calm voice said “Overhead light one, on.” A soft light above his desk suddenly came on as he walked over. Clutching his shoulder with one hand and digging in his drawers with the other, the wounded boss said “Agent 022, please take a seat. I’ll be with you shortly.”

Lena obeyed and sat down deciding that tending to her own wounds were a good idea. She didn’t bother asking permission and just reached for his medkit, taking out bandages and aspirin. As she wrapped herself up the Director broke the silence saying “You were a little slow on your initial room assessment.” Lena said nothing, content with letting the Director lecture her about their bout while she tidied up. “You took 4 steps into the room before stopping and assessing the situation. You jeopardized your own life on the notion that being that this is my office, there would be no danger present. You know better, most disappointing 022.” Lena bit off the last of her bandage and tied it on saying “Quite disappointed in you as well Director. I expected more from someone of your reputation.” The Director looked over and for once broke his calm and monotone voice with a laugh.

”Yes 022 I will not lie, I underestimated your plan of attack. I figured with you on the defensive it would drive you to impatience and my goading would cause you to attack prematurely. Unbeknownst to me the exact opposite happened, congrats on your small victory. I have to update your contingency files now so thank you for the new data.” Lena’s face showed no emotion but she was slapping herself on the inside. Every agent had a file with a contingency plan on how best to approach them in a confrontation. A general rule of thumb was to keep your file as sparse as possible in case of a blacklist, and Lena had just shown one of her aces up her sleeve.

The Director finished up his patch job and put the kit away, opting to instead stand by the window and peer out into the streets below. “You know I tried this exercise with 425 a while back. She was the only agent I ever had that turned on the lights before engaging me. She’s the reason I had the switch removed the clever girl . . .”

Lena crossed her arms annoyed and sarcastically asked “Do you miss her??”

”No need for harsh tones 022. This meeting is not a reprimand for your performance on the triathlon of agent scrubbings I ordered. Truth be told I’d like you to promote to the Shadow Division.” Lena’s eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion. She was a good agent sure, but elite enough for the Shadow Division? Not much was known about the S.D. hence the name, but Lena did know it was comprised of not just the agency’s best, but some of the worst as well. The Shadow Division didn’t just ‘eliminate’ people. They carried out missions that were crucial to the agency’s survival. “Yes it’s true. The agency overall is beginning to transition into a new phase and I want you to be apart of the new change.”

“Why me Director?”

“Because why not you? I need fresh life blood injected into the S.D. They have the most important jobs in the entire agency and without them there would be no us . . .” Lena’s hairs began to stand up again as the Director paused, something else was wrong and the feeling of dread was creeping back up. The Director moved from the window and sat back down at his desk asking “022 tell me . . . what is the Key?” The snow leopard grimaced and didn’t hide the fact either. They both knew she didn’t know the answer but Lena tried to answer anyways.

”It’s important. You’ve ordered every active agent to look for it so whatever it is it must be worth the man power.” the Director smirked replying “I’ll fill you in on a little secret. The key is . . . nothing.”

”Come again Director? Nothing??” The Director smiled while folding his hands together and said “Yes you heard correctly 022. There is no key, no real threat to the agency, and no real threat to the world.” Lena blinked a couple of times in shock at the news. She and countless others had sacrificed hours upon hours looking for the vague item, Lena herself had lost track of the number of people she had to kill just for a tiny clue as to what it could be, and here was the Director himself telling her there never was a key.

”I know what you’re thinking 022. Why would I put not only our agency but agencies around the world through this type of turmoil, burn resources, run agents into the ground and eliminate targets over nothing? Well to you and I it’s nothing yes, but the Pentagon? To the Kremlin? To the Japanese Defense Ministry? Is it nothing? To them there’s a very real threat out there and one that threatens to undermine their national security. They’re bound by the Geneva convention so their government run shadow agencies can only do so much and go so far. They need a helping hand and one that can reach everywhere.”

“So you lied to the entire world and for what Director? What did you gain?”

“Not me 022, what did we gain! Forget the money made from the contracts that were bought, we gained stability most of all. This was a perilous time for establishments like ours. World Leaders holding peace talks, moves towards demilitarization, talks of ‘better tomorrows??’ Bah! Even our friends from Russia slowed down their purchases of contracts, our biggest client going the way of the world . . . disgusting. Peace does not sell and it certainly does not keep our branches in business.”

Lena listened to the rant and thought back to all the time she had wasted with this as her top priority. All the recitals, dinners with the family, ice cream sprees she had missed and all for what? More money for the agency. She closed her eyes and barred her fangs as the Director continued on, opting to instead cut him off. She slammed a paw onto the desk yelling “You bastard! You have any idea what lower agents are sacrificing for this?!” The Director waved a hand dismissively replying “Of course I do. I’m the one who finalizes all assignments. Don’t be so upset, this is a great opportunity! It was offered to only three other agents, unfortunately 2 of them did not accept . . .” The director reached inside a drawer and pulled out a folder and tossed it to Lena.

The feline curiously opened it up and immediately tensed as she looked at the document. It was a copy of her assignment of the three agents to kill and with it came the realization of what was going on. The three of them had been chosen for the Shadow Division promotion, most likely given the same spiel about the key and two of them declined. Lena immediately knew 656 was one and after looking closely at the orders again she had a clue as to who accepted and who didn’t. The assassin steeled her nerves and with a deep sigh asked “So what are my options?”

The Director flashed a wicked grin and replied “I’m so very glad you asked. Option 1: Accept my offer and join the division. The pay and perks are well worth the trouble. Option 2: Refuse my offer and I can’t promise that your designation and likeness may end up on a similar looking order.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes easy choice right? You’d only have to eliminate one more agent for me before your transition into the S.D.” Lena’s ears perked up in curiosity before she asked “Who?”

”Eliminate Agent 302 and you will be welcomed into the fold.” The Director slid over a contract with a pen and Lena grabbed it, even though she had no intention of signing. She pretended to look over the contract and asked “What did 302 do?” The Director let out another out of character laugh saying “Oh 022. You and I both know your husband discovered your affiliation with the agency. This is non negotiable. He’s a danger to the Agency as long as he’s alive. Kill him posthaste.”

”I won’t.” Lena stated matter of factly. “I won’t join the S.D. and I certainly won’t kill my husband. What will that accomplish? Absolutely nothing and we both know that.”

”022 do you know what the purpose of a cover family is? Your family is there so to the lower levels of the government you are a normal person. You’ve got a job, a house, a family, and on tax forms that’s all fine. Though where you’re going? You wont need families, no daughter to take to recitals, no needy husband to attend to. You’ll finally be free 022!”

“Free? Or a slave to the Agency?” The Director’s smile left as he spun around in his chair towards the window. He exhaled sharply and said “425 can you please come here?” Lena quickly turned around and lo and behold, walking out of the shadows was the elusive skunk herself. Lena hissed as she approached but 425 only giggled and waved back saying “Hey 022! Haven’t seen you since . . . Well I suppose yesterday, but it’s been even longer since we’ve talked!”

”y-yesterday??” Lena asked with arched eyebrows. The Director once again pulled out another dossier and slid it over saying. “You think you’re too good of an agent to not have tabs kept on you? Everyone keeps everyone in check, it’s always been like this, don’t act so surprised now 022.” Lena flipped through the folder and found all sorts of pictures of her and her family. There was pictures of her in the field stalking 656, pictures of Archer stalking her, pictures of Lily at school, even pictures of Lena and Archer having sex, more pictures than the folder needed.

“I gave four of you the same opportunity to eliminate one another for a chance to be apart of the S.D. You took out 656 and 425 made short work of the timid 004. Now that just leaves the loose end 302 . . . Or you as well 022. Think about this now. You can always find another male to lay with you know? It’s not the end of the world if you lose this one.”

Lena grit her teeth but replied anyways asking “And what about my daughter?”

”She’s still young and malleable, I figure after she gets over the death of her father she will make a fine assassin. Maybe even a better one than you?” Lena flung the papers towards the Director and stood up saying “You touch her and I’ll fucking kill you! I decline your offer and I resign effective immediately. You can take your contract and go piss off!” The Director shook his in disappointment as he straightened up the mess saying “How unfortunate . . . You just made a grave mistake Lena. 425?” The skunk looks over at the Director and says “Take care of the loose ends?”

“Yes please. Nothing messy, something believable please.” The skunk nods and makes her way for the exit but not without taunting Lena with “Oh Director? Can I keep the child? I’ve always fancied the thought of being a mother.”

”Hmm I don’t see why not, I don’t think Lena will mind much.” 425 smiled wickedly and skipped out of the room. Lena snarled while standing up, she was about to dart towards the exit before she heard the familiar click of a gun. “Please have a seat Lena. We have so much more to discuss now.” Lena turned around and immediately was met with the barrel of a gun aimed in her direction. She did as she was told and sat back down in the chair, fangs and claws barred. The Director held the gun in a loose relaxed grip, clearly content with toying with her.

”If you’re going to kill me I suggest you do it now.”

”So impatient Lena. What’s the rush? I want to give 425 ample enough time to get to do her work. Besides in the meantime you can beg for your family’s life. I know you’re too prideful to beg for your own, but maybe the thought of your husband being tortured or your daughter going missing is enough to initiate a change of heart?”

Lena’s rage was boiling over and she wanted nothing more than to leap over the desk and rip out the Director’s throat but with the gun pointed squarely in her direction there was no way she’d do that and get out of this alive. She quickly took stock of her situation and realized her only chance to get out of this alive was to roll out of her chair before the Director pulled the trigger. She wouldn’t be able to just flop out of the chair without him shooting her square in the chest but she realized she might be able to surprise him enough to miss the first shot. The desk they were seated at was a stylized and composed of lightweight materials. It was the type of desk that one would see in a start up tech company. Fancy angular legs, light frame, and plenty of leverage underneath for overturning.

She growled at the Director and said “Even if you kill me and Archer, you’ll never get our daughter to be an assassin. No matter how you train her and what you do to her, you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of her wrath.”

”Hmm I’m not sure about that Lena, I’ve been told I have a way with the children. After all you started not too long after her age wasn’t that right? You were quite literally bred to kill, just look at yourself. Nearly feral as you flex your claws, show your fangs, and prowl around on all fours like a savage beast. You threw away your chance to be the greatest agent there ever was.”

Lena found her footing underneath the table and readied herself to overturn it. “and you threw away your chance at living when you brought my family into this . . .” Lena didn’t waste any time as she pushed the table up with her feet, effectively throwing herself backwards as it flipped. The Director was taken by surprise and fired a round at Lena still. The bullet knicked her in the side but she ignored the pain and lunged for the Director before he could recover. There was no strategy or planned out attack this time, Lena quickly took her claws and buried them inside his neck. The Director choked and gurgled in surprise and Lena executed him, he tried to raise his gun to fire but Lena took one of her hands and pinned his arm down.

The Director mouth bubbled over with blood dribbling out of the sides until he finally became still and quiet on the floor. Lena panted as she watched his corpse leak blood onto the carpet, she was glad that was over but she wished she could’ve made him suffer longer. She stood to her feet and checked out her arm, content with what she saw. Like she initially thought the bullet had only grazed her and she’d be fine, but Archer and Lily wouldn’t be if she didn’t hurry back home.

There was no way she’d get there in time before 425 did so she hoped that Archer could buy time before it was too late. Lena took the Director’s gun and made a break for the exit. As she ran she realized that not only was she blacklisted but her entire family was now. They’d all have to go into hiding and relocate and it was all her fault. She closed her eye briefly berating herself for things getting so out of hand, but she knew that she couldn’t dwell on that now. She had to get home before she lost more than just job.

Archer sat on the living room sofa oddly at peace. For some reason he didn’t feel that impending sense of dread he had been feeling since he discovered Lena’s secret. For some reason all felt right in the world and the feeling scared him for he knew that couldn’t be further from the truth. With Lena still out there killing, any day now someone could come here looking for her or worse . . . them. Though Archer ignored those concerns and focused his attention on cooking dinner. With Lily upstairs napping, he’d have plenty of time to get household chores done before his wife and daughter became active and undid all his work.

Archer went to the fridge and took out possible entrees to cook. He’d probably be able to get away with another fish dinner, neither of the felines were very picky eaters thankfully, but they’d probably appreciate variety all the same. He grabbed a couple packs of pork chops and set them on the counter. He pulled out some seasoning and was about to start working on the food when he heard the doorbell ring. Archer immediately froze at the sound. “Who the hell would be coming by in the middle of the day?” Archer decided to ignore the bell and see if it was rung again, and to his dismay it was. That calm Archer felt was gone and was now replaced by a strong sense of dread. He never had so much anxiety from answering a door before, but now things were different. There was no telling who could be on the other side of the peephole and whether or not answering would be the last thing he did.

The doorbell rang once more before Archer finally stirred himself to move. He looked over at the counter and snatched one of the butcher knives, opting to slide it underneath the backside of his shirt. He had completely blanked on buying a gun and he was hating himself for it now. He slunk up to the door and peered through the peephole, swearing under his breath “Shit! It can’t be!?” There was no mistaking 425 for Archer. With an hourglass figure, piercing purple eyes, and a sparkly like luster to her coat, she was most certainly a stand out character. She had on the same business attire Lena would wear to work in the morning which all but told Archer she was here strictly for work. 425 gently knocked one the door once more and called out saying “Hello? Is anyone home?”

Archer’s hand hovered over the door knob as he contemplated whether or not to let her in. Whatever she was here for it wasn’t good Archer knew, but was it smarter to ignore her or let her in? Both courses of action had their merits and downsides but Archer knew he had very little time to make a decision. The distraught human took a deep breath and began to unlock the door. Better to face the music and deal with her directly, than allowing her to leave and come back. He opened the door slowly and put on the best fake smile he could muster as he greeted the assassin at the door.

”Hello there! What can I do for you?” 425 smiled widely and extended her paw out saying “Hiya! I’m Trisha! I work with your wife and I wanted to talk to you about something concerning her. May I come in?” Archer respectfully took her hand and shook it replying “Maybe it’d be better if we spoke out here, the house is a mess and I haven’t had a chance to tidy up.”

”Nonsense! This won’t take long at all! Besides this is a personal matter, you understand yes?” Archer felt his breath hitch in his throat at the subtle remark but he ultimately saved face and replied

”Of course. Step right in!” 425 flashed a friendly smile and stepped past Archer. The nervous human shakily closed the door and was in the middle of locking it when 425 said “You know butcher knives are traditionally not very good weapons right?” The question caught Archer off guard so he turned around to ask what she meant and was met with Trisha slashing at him with his own knife. Archer dove out of the way and clumsily rolled back onto his feet, all the while trying to process what had just happened.

Trisha playfully twirled the knife around saying “I’ll give you credit 302. There’s an innate quickness to you that a lot of people don’t have. I suppose having Lena as a mate had its perks.”

”Had?” Archer thought before dodging another slash from the assassin. Her movements were graceful and full of poise as if she were a professional dancer. She leapt and twirled with all that she did and Archer may have been impressed if her objective wasn’t to kill him. 425 went in for lunging stab which Archer sidestepped with ease. Archer figured his best bet was to surprise her with a strong offense so he we tried to imitate a roundhouse kick he’d seen Lena do and failed miserably. The kick was clumsy and much too slow for the skunk who caught his leg and laughed “I take it you don’t spar much?”

Trisha swept kicked his other leg and sent Archer crashing to the floor. Once down she sat atop his chest and giddily dangled the knife above his face. “My orders were to make this a clean kill something believable you know? But I’m feeling creative! How about . . . Ooh I know! You like to cook so how about a freak cooking accident!? It’ll be perfect! I’ll slash up your face really good and . . Oh we could put on a pot of boiling water too! Really tie the whole scene together, what do you say?”

Archer balled his fists and swung them Trisha hoping to connect but the assassin anticipated the move and with a quick slash, cut Archer across both wrists. “AGH F-FUCK!” He yelled while trying to clench them and stop the bleeding, but 425 grabbed both arms and pinned them to the ground. “Nu uh! Let em’ bleed a little hehehe.” The sensation of losing blood was a familiar one and Archer was well aware of what would happen if he lost too much and went unconscious. He thrashed and fought against the skunk as she happily held him in place, enjoying his suffering. Trisha placed a paw around Archer’s neck and applied moderate pressure saying “I’m curious as to how long you’ll last before blacking out. My last mark lasted 7 minutes with me actually trying to choke him, very impressive if I do say so myself.”

Archer opened his mouth to curse but found his words quickly lost as the assassin began crushing his windpipe with only one paw. The force was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before and he was having a hard time believing anyone could last a minute under so much pressure, let alone seven. He tried to swat at the skunk but couldn’t connect any meaningful blows, so he focused his efforts on prying her hand off of him. He did his best to leverage his hands under hers and push them apart, but the assassin’s grip was otherworldly. Archer could feel hot tears streaming down his face as he clung to dear life but Trisha was merely toying with him. She alternated pressure on his neck, squeezing so hard one minute that she threatened to crush his Adam’s apple then letting off as if she were giving him a chance to catch his breath. It was just a game to her and Archer knew he was losing.

Trisha seemed bored with just choking him to death so she twirled the knife around saying “You know it’s a shame I have to do this now. I would’ve liked to have done this while Lena was still around, see how she reacted to her husband becoming a macabre art piece!” She swung the knife down towards Archer’s face and Archer was quick to stop it with his hands. She merely chuckled as struggled to keep the sharp edge away from his face. Again she was toying with him and he knew it. If she wanted to she could’ve already crushed his face, but he surmised the hopeful look on his face was entertaining to her.

Archer could feel his arms slowly buckling under the pressure and he was about to give in and just let her end it when out of the corner of his eye he saw something more frightening than his own situation. He saw Lily standing at the base of the stairs, wide eyed, shivering, and clearly afraid. The little leopard looked as if she were about to cry but were to paralyzed with fear. Archer wanted to cry out and tell her to run, but he could barely manage to think while holding the blade at bay. Lily looked at her father on the ground and the strange woman atop of him then silently barred her tiny fangs. “Oh God no . . .” Archer thought as he recognized the look.

It was the same face Lena made when she was angry, and seeing his daughter make the same expression was horrifying. He knew what she was about to do and he had to stop her before she was killed. Archer kicked, twirled, shifted, did every maneuver her could possibly to get Trisha off of him but he only managed to jostle the assassin around a little. He saw his daughter in pouncing distance and finally found his voice to yell “LILY NOO!” Though he was too late, for the little leopard had already leapt atop the assassin, catching her completely by surprise.

Lily waster no time and like her mother, she viciously latched her jowls into Trisha’s shoulder. “AAAGHH YOU LITTLE BRAT!” Trisha fell back off of Archer finally giving him space to recover. Trisha tried reaching around to yank the child off but found her stubbornly dug in, so she fell back onto the floor in an attempt to crush the child. A muffled yip could be heard as 425 threw her weight onto the child which made Archer’s blood boil. He did his best to stagger to his feet, but found the entire room spinning much to fast for his liking. He grasped onto the stovetop to steady himself, but almost slipped when he grabbed onto a wok instead of a burner.

Trisha got up off of Lily and grinned as she saw the child lying motionless on the ground. She bent down to pick her up but was again surprised when Lily leapt up and snapped at her. The little feline’s jaws connected with Trisha’s arm, breaking fur and drawing more blood. Trisha grit her teeth and instantly took to punching the child in hopes of her letting go. Lily screwed her eyes shut and did her best to bear through the beatings, even with the pain her primary instincts were telling her to protect her family. She didn’t understand why but she hoped she was doing the right thing.

Trisha smacked her across the snout again, but Lily bit down harder eliciting a sharp cry from the skunk. “OUCH!! Okay no more Mrs. nice Trisha!” 425 reached into her back waistband and pulled out her silenced pistol. The assassin brought the weapon down atop Lily’s head causing the small child to cry out and finally let go of 425’s arm. The small feline staggered around unsteadily as the blow from the weapon rung through her head. Her vision was beyond blurred and she found herself completely frightened.

Trisha stood above her clutching her arm while aiming her pistol and said “You are definitively Lena’s daughter.” Lily whimpered at the tone of Trisha’s voice and tried to crawl away, but the assassin just yanked her up by the scruff of her neck saying “I’m going to yank each and every tooth of your little mouth you brat! And I make your da- Where is he?!” 425 looked back at the floor where she had pinned down Archer but found him not there.” She tightened her grip on Lily and called out “Oh Archer! I have someone who wants to say goodbye! Come on out and tell your bitch of a daughter how much you love her!” Trisha accented her point by violently shaking the feline around, hoping to coax the human out of hiding.

She fully stepped into the kitchen and casually scanned the area. She scanned a small blood trail leading towards a floor level cabinet and chuckled “You lack imagination 302 . . . Say goodbye Lily.” Trisha aimed the pistol and immediately began firing off rounds into the cabinet, hoping to kill him. The bullets pinged around inside the cabinet and the sounds of metal on metal could be heard but Trisha grimaced when she didn’t hear any screams of pain. She opened the door with her foot and stepped back when various pots and pans came spilling out, but no Archer.

Trisha bent down to get a better look but was surprised when she saw no sign of the human. Trisha grunted in frustration and placed the barrel of the weapon to Lily’s head saying “I’m tired of games Archer. Three seconds and I’ll splatter her brains all over your nice granite countertop. 1 . . . 2 . . . 3!” Trisha cocked the weapon and took aim but was stopped when Archer yelled back “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!” The father leapt from the top shelf crawlspace and tackled the skunk to the floor.

Once free, the small feline took the window opportunity and scampered from the scene while Archer and Trisha fought for control of her gun. Both had a vice like grip on the weapon but with his finger on the trigger, Archer quickly pulled the trigger, trying to expend the last of the ammunition. Trisha tried to angle the gun towards him to injure him, but by the time she had pointed it in his direction the bullets were all gone.

As soon as Archer heard the distinctive click of the bolt he brought his legs up and kicked back against 425, sliding back across the floor towards safety. He quickly got up and made a dash for Lily as 425 began reloading the weapon. The skunk wasted no time and slid another magazine in with practiced ease then took aim. The pain in her shooting arm was killing her but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t experienced before. She tried to get a trace on Archer but the human had already rounded the corner towards the other side of the house.

Trisha rounded the corner with her weapon drawn and walked up towards Archer’s study saying “This is so undignified Archer! Just step out and take it like a man! Have some self respect now!” Trisha humored him and waited for a reply but when she didn’t receive one she fired a round into the door handle. With the handle blown off she attempted to push the door open but found the door to barely move. She stopped pushing and peeked through to see Archer and Lily huddled in the corner with what appeared to be his desk blocking the entrance.

Trisha playfully wedged the gun’s barrel between the door and fired a round into the room causing Lily to scream and cry. Archer grasped his daughter tighter and backed them up against the side of his bookshelf, shielding them from any stray bullets. “Leave my daughter out of this 425! You want to kill me fine, but she’s just a child!” Trisha continued pushing against the desk and replied “So? I’ve killed a couple kids, not like you can’t make more Oh wait . . . You can’t.”

Trisha continued reaching into the room to break the move the desk, but gave up once she realized it wasn’t budging fast enough. For a moment everything became eerily still. Archer held Lily close as they listened for any sound form the door, it sounded as if Trisha had disappeared into thin air. Archer slowly peered around shelf and strained his eyes to see anything between the cracks. It looked as if she were gone but he obviously knew it couldn’t be the case. He heard a distinctive click of a gun and held Lily tighter as the bullets tore through the door. Lily screamed and cried as the hinges of the door went skidding across the floor towards them, blown clean off.

The study door wobbled a bit without its support then toppled over onto the table, breaking it as Trisha stepped inside. She stepped around the bookshelf towards the father and daughter then held her weapon up towards them. She was far past joking and playing, sporting an angry and pained face she had nothing witty left to say. Archer buried the sobbing feline’s face into his chest then closed his eyes and waited for inevitable. Bang! Bang! Bang! They both heard the shots but dared not to move. The adrenaline was still coursing through Archer’s body and he feared that opening his eyes would expose him to the gruesome reality that was his fate. The father and daughter duo still sat on the floor eyes closed and arms locked in tight embrace until a loud thud was heard, frightening both of them. Archer peeled one eye open and let out a sigh of relief as he saw 425 lying face down on the floor.

The skunk’s back was riddled with three large splotches of blood, marring her once beautiful coat. Archer slowly reached over for her discarded gun and quickly snatched it in fear of her somehow waking and using it on them. The human kicked the dead assassin over and had to resist the urge to stomp her face in. He thought about putting another bullet in her head but stopped as he realized Lily was still shaking in fear. He rubbed her back and whispered sweet nothings in her ear to soothe the distraught feline. She’d stopped screaming but refused to remove herself from her father, her claws quite literally anchored to Archer’s back. He didn’t mind and continued to pat and calm her down until his mind had finally processed some of what had happened. “Wait who shot 425!?” Archer thought as he heard rustling by the study entrance.

He looked over and saw Lena standing where the table and door once was, bloodied up and looking disheveled. He could see the weary focus in her eyes, the tired stance she was sporting, and the relieved look she wore. She was beyond happy to see them still alive. She smiled weakly and took a step closer with wide open arms saying “Oh Archer I’m so glad I co- click. ”

Lena looked over towards Archer with looks of worry as he she stared down the barrel of his gun. Propping Lily up in one arm and aiming with the other he said ”Do not take another step Lena.”

”Archer . . please . .”

”No shut it! Don’t Archer please me! What the hell were you thinking?! All these years running behind my back killing people! Did you really think there’d be no repercussions for your actions!?”

“Archer please! I never meant for things to get like this! I did what I did for this family . . . For you and Lily!” Archer shook his head in anger and yelled back “You did this for us?! You lied about your job for me? When you fondled Xavier and then tortured him in our bed was that for me as well?! Most importantly our daughter Lena! Was neglecting her, ignoring what she needed, going day by day as if she didn’t exist . . . Was that for her too??” Lena found herself trying to choke out a response, but she couldn’t produce a word.

She knew he was right, all these years she’s known what she was doing was wrong to her family but she couldn’t stop herself . . . No she didn’t want to. Lena hung her head down in shame as she thought about how she enjoyed what she did for all these years, it brought immense pleasure to her and even though she was ashamed, apart of her wasn’t.

“I know you liked it Lena . . . I could see it in your eyes while you were mauling Xavier . . I-I just wish you had said something . . Nothing hurt me the most like you believing I was dead weight, that I was holding you back . .”

“Archer I never said that!”

“no but you believed didn’t you? I’m not stupid Lena! Why didn’t you just leave!? Why would you be so selfish!? Forget me, Did you ever stop and think about Lily!? How would she have felt knowing her mother was out there doing the things you do?!” Lena looked at Lily and the two shared a glance before the daughter turned away, frightened by Lena’s appearance.

Lena took another step towards Archer but he refused to lower the weapon. “Honey listen . . . You don’t know how bad I feel about what’s happened. I know you hate me right now but please listen! We all have to go now, there’ll be a clean up crew on their way here and we can’t be here when they get here.” Lena could tell Archer was having a hard time processing everything that was happening so she continued walking towards him. Even as he shouted and threatened to fire Lena stood fast and walked right up to her shaken Husband and enveloped him in big hug. She made sure to wrap as much of the both of them she could as they stood together, fearful of what was to come.

Archer could feel a few involuntary tears falling as he said “I don’t want to leave Lena . .”

“I’m so sorry Archer, but we can’t stay. I know I wasn’t there for you two before but please let me be here for you now.” Archer wiped his eyes with his spare arms and nodded his head saying “y-yea . . we g-gotta go now. Tell me what we need to do Lena.”

“Pack light. I’ve had all our essentials packed years ago in case this situation arose. Important docs, start up money, and safe house locations. I’ll grab that bag and you can grab a few changes of clothes for Lily.” Lena turned around and began to make her way to their bedroom before Archer stopped her saying “Wait! What about 425?! We can’t just leave her like that!”

“We can and will. No point in hiding the evidence with the agency on it’s way to clean up. Whether she’s here or not they’ll know we’re still alive and that’s why we have to move. Don’t worry Archer . . . Everything’s going to be alright.”

“Archer bowed his head and sighed. He looked back up towards his wife and nodded along saying “Alright Lena . . . I trust you. Let’s get out of here.” Lena flashed a small smile then darted for their bedroom, leaving Archer and Lily alone in the study. Archer stepped over the broken remains of the door and kept repeating what Lena said to him “Everything’s going to be alright . . . Everything’s going to be alright . . . Everything’s going to be alright . . .

9 MONTHS LATER

“Don’t worry Archer old boy! Everything’s gonna be alright hahaha.” Archer held his fighting stance even at the friendly jest, he had no plans to be distracted again. He circled his opponent with arms up and feet apart, a standard pose he’d been using for awhile now. His opponent circled him as well but could care less about form and was just doing it to mess with Archer. Archer stopped and planted his feet signaling he was going on the defense.

His opponent laughed saying “Ah gonna stand your ground huh? Alright stand against this!” He dashed for Archer and leapt up with a spinning back kick. Archer took a step back and easily blocked the kick with his arm. He followed up with a kick of his own and even though it was dodged his opponent praised him saying “Much better! Good height and I could see some real weight put behind that one. I can see 022 has been making you practice hahaha! Now give me a good 2 hit combo followed by a kick and we’ll call it a day 302.”

Archer nodded and sprung into his attack. He threw a right jab followed by a roundhouse, both of which were either blocked or sidestepped with ease. Archer threw out an easy left swing as bait and when his opponent put up their arm to block it, Archer launched into his real attack. He quickly took hold of their arm and with a smooth hoist he flipped them over his shoulder onto their back. His opponent grunted in surprise as they came crashing down onto the forest floor.

“Agh shit 302 . . . That was a helluva move! Now I really see 022’s fighting style in you. I suppose you can be taught after all.” Archer offered a hand and pulled the figure up saying “Thanks Six. I’m know I’m getting better, but sparring with Lena is not good for my health. She holds back just enough so that I can still function as a human being, but she’s still got that ruthless mentality when it comes to training. I learn how to fight with you but I learn how to survive with her.” 656 performed his trademark laugh and slapped Archer’s back replying “Oh you learning how to survive from her?! That’s rich now 302! Take it from the master at living another day, I’ll show you how to get by!” Archer chuckled at 656’s boast and shook his head.

“Only reason you survived is because you begged and pleaded like a baby with her. Surprised she still didn’t kill you.”

“Hmpfh! I’m here aren’t I? what good is pride if it gets you killed? Besides 022 couldn’t kill me, I was too important at the time!”

“Oh? And how so?”

“I’ve got a lot of connects! I may have been blacklisted but that doesn’t mean I was useless. I gots hook ups, people who can make things happen you know! Every agent worth their salt knows you don’t kill off informants. That’s the job security in that market, everyone loves a good snitch.”

“How you’ve survived all these years is beyond me.” 656 shrugged and picked up his duffel bag. The two men walked through the woods in silence, content with nature filling the place of conversation. The two made their way out of the forest break and Archer stopped once he saw Lena and Lily. Even after all this time and all that they had been through he still found Lena irresistible. The stress of their new lives would’ve been enough to drive any regular women insane but not his snow leopard. She took to new challenges like a fish to water and always seemed to rise to the occasion. It also helped that she was still gorgeous Archer thought while quietly approaching.

“Hold the blade like this Lily. Pointed end away from you with this stance. You’ll want the edge away from you while you circle an opponent.” Lily nodded and emulated her mother’s pose the best she could. “Yes just like that! Now I’m going to press your defenses. Don’t focus solely on my blade, focus on my body movements, that will tell you where my blade will strike.”

Archer folded his arms and watched as Lena darted for his nine year old daughter with a knife. Most people seeing the scene would’ve expected Lena to be out for blood. Just like with Archer, Lena wasn’t one to hold back. She rushed for Lily and swiped quick and fast. Seeing this display a year ago would have made Archer faint, and while he still got nervous at the prospect of his young daughter handling an overhand knife but as time went on he had surprisingly found himself okay with her using it. Afterall there wasn’t a better person to learn from than her mother.

Archer watched as his daughter gracefully parry attack after attack as if it were some choreographed dance sequence. Lena was definitively playing with her daughter but the danger of being hurt was real and it was certainly real for Lily. The small child was like a miniature version of Lena and it was still something Archer found himself not accustomed to quite yet. The thought of his Lily one day being as proficient if not more so as a killer than Lena was a hard pill to swallow, but he knew it was a necessary precaution living as a fugitive.

Lena took a wide swipe at Lily’s midsection and she dodged with a perfect back hand spring just like Lena. The smaller feline landed gracefully on her feet then kicked the knife out of Lena’s hand. The move was so well executed that Lena found herself stopping the exercise to coo and gush. “Aww Lily! You did it! Excellent dodge daughter, much better than your clumsy father’s hehe.”

Archer feigned offense and walked over saying “Ouch. And you said I was making great strides, I now see that was a lie.” Lena giggled and embraced her husband replying “Well you have made great strides! You went from being an awful fighter to a . . . well you aren’t awful anymore.” She kissed him on his cheek then buried her snout in the crook of his neck.

“Ahh that after workout smell. I enjoy it, you shouldn’t be so quick to wash it off.”

“I have to wash up sometime or you’ll never let me get clean.” Lena purred seductively and said “I can always clean you Archer . . .” Archer rubbed his nose against hers saying “Hhmm I might have to take you up on that offer.” 656 waved at the couple annoyed and said “You two are just like a couple of high schoolers, all hormones I swear . .” The grizzled agent shook his head then turned his attention to the Lily who was absentmindedly twirling her knife around.

“Ah there she is! How’s little 22 doing?” Lily looked up and squealed in delight replying “Unlce Six!” The feline leapt up into the doberman’s arms as he spun her around saying. “I see your mom has been working you like a horse these days. She remember to take you out for ice cream?” Archer and Lena both flashed 656 annoyed looks as he began egging the small child on for frozen treats.

“Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!” Lily shouted as she hopped out of 656’s arms and paraded around her parents. Archer shook his head saying “Excellent job 656. She’ll either be protesting if we don’t go or bouncing off the walls if we do. I hope you realize you’re in charge of wearing her out this evening then?”

The Doberman laughed saying “Ah come on lighten up 302! Of course I’ll wear down the little tyke, but you should do something nice for your offspring you know? Poor kid’s got it rough nowadays so I think a treat every now and again is fair.” Archer hated admitting it but 656 was right. Ever since the move the family hadn’t had much time for fun and games outside of staying one step ahead of assassins sent after them. Archer could remember how shaken Lily was the first night they had been surprised by another agent.

NIGHT OF ATTACK: 9 MONTHS AGO

They had fled the suburbs only 5 nights before and were roughing it outside of city limits, scrounging around the wooded areas trying to wait out any retaliation. The family hadn’t ate or slept since before the day 425 attacked and everyone including Lily were on edge. The small child hadn’t been the same since the attack, she barely spoke and Archer found her despondent, and staring off into space often.

It was obvious the stress of the situation was getting to everyone including Lena who was now carrying the stress of having to protect her family without any support structure from the agency. She was jittery and snappy, quick to lash out at the tiniest things mistakes either of them made. It didn’t help either that both felines paranoia seemed to be in sync. Their ears and noses twitched simultaneously and they both jumped at every sound. Archer found himself having to be the voice of reason and anchor despite his wife having been a contracted killer.

They sat at the base of a tree quiet. Lena prowling around on all fours like a feral dog and Lily sitting away from her parents, staring intently into the dark wilderness. Lena pawed around some more in an attempt to calm herself but every step she took was forced and unwilling. Archer looked at his wife and felt a wave of pity overtake him “she’s exhausted . . .” Archer scooted over to her then placed an arm around her waist. She quickly tensed at the touch and hissed but soon relaxed as she realized who was holding her.

“Shh Lena . . . Calm down.” She said nothing, only wrapped her arms around Archer and exhaled loudly. The husband patted her back and whispered soothingly into her ear just as he had done with Lily then said “We’re going to get through this alright? But we won’t if you kill yourself. You need to eat and sleep if you’re going to be at your best.” Lena nodded in agreement and said “Archer I know I just . . I can not afford to rest right now. We can’t afford to rest, we need to put as much distance as we can between us and the Agency as possible. I need to get us somewhere safe.”

“No. We need to get us somewhere safe. I know I’m not some trained assassin like you Lena but we’re a family. And if we’re going to survive we’ll need to start working like one. You can’t do it all so don’t be afraid to lean on me. I know you’re running yourself into the ground because of guilt, it’s written all over your face but now’s not the time to feel guilty. Now’s the time to stay prepared. Tell you what, you remember where that lake was we passed?”

“Of course.”

“If you can snag a couple of fish, I’ll gut and clean them for us to eat for dinner. I know we can’t buy anything in town so at least let me do this for us.” Lena seemed to mull over the idea then nodded saying “You’re right Archer. I’m no good if I’m dead. I’ll head down to the lake and catch something. Please if you have any trouble just take our daughter and run. If I’m still alive I will find you, don’t worry about me just get her to safety.”

Archer planted a kiss on Lena forehead and said “I know . . . You just be safe.” The snow leopard nodded then stood up and stretched. After cracking a few joints she plopped back down on all fours and took off into the woods, starling Archer. She had been walking around like a feral beast more and more which frightened and excited Archer all the same. He had never seen her or anyone really do anything like that before and it was amazing. She made it look so natural and moved so wonderfully even though he knew it was something that had to have been awkward.

Archer turned to face Lily but found her still looking off into the dark void of the woods. He wanted to talk to her, say something more to reassure her that everything would be okay but he had a feeling she wouldn’t respond to that at all. He weighed over what he could possibly say then he shrugged his shoulders and just said “Hey sweetie?”

“...”

“Daddy wants to take a look at your head, make sure it’s healing okay. Lily?”

“. . .” Archer sighed and just moved up behind her. His daughter seemed to be glued to her spot at the edge of the camp but he was able to drag her a little into his lap while he examined her. Peeling back her matted fur her could see some dried blood but nothing to him looked infected or out of place. He patted her head a couple of times in hopes of coaxing a reaction out of her but got nothing. He then moved lower underneath her chin and with a few scritches he soon for his daughter purring and leaning into his touch. She still said nothing but Archer found the feeling of her fur and soft purring more than enough of reaction for him. He thought back to the times when she was still a baby and he had to care for her by himself. Lena was so enamored with her once she was born but as soon as maternity leave was over, so were the new mother feelings. She was never cold to Lily, just distant . . . Though Archer couldn’t care less at the time. Getting to hold her and care for her were the best moments of his life. He missed curling up with her in the nursery and just listening to her heartbeat as she slumbered.

Her soft purring was something he couldn’t get enough of as a new father and even now he found himself coveting the sensation. He kept up his pats and rubs as Lily relaxed further and further, until she finally leaned all the way back into his chest and seemed to be relaxed finally. “Feel better sunshine?”

“...” Archer placed his head atop hers and sighed once more. He was hoping she hadn’t suffered some internal damage from her fight with 425 but it was seeming like she’d never utter anything again. Archer closed his eyes and found himself about to drift off until he heard lily mumble something. The father shot up and listened again but found silence. “What did you say?”

“...”

“HEY! ANSWER ME! WHAT DID YOU SAY!?” Archer immediately felt bad for raising his voice but if it bothered Lily she made no reaction of it. The daughter only sat straight up and pointed into the pitch black saying “They’re watching us . . .” Archer looked off into the void and could barely see past the fire’s waning light and cursed to himself.

“Who’s watching us?”

“... All black.” Archer picked up Lily and stepped closer to the fire. There was no point in trying to go out and see who was out there with his eyes. He knew his best bet was to try and wait the figure out by the light. At least he’d have a fighting chance this way. “Are they armed?” Lily was silent and seemed to be giving the question some thought before she plainly answered “… yes…”

“Fuck . . Alright point again to where they are?” Lily raised her arm and pointed directly in front of the pair. He reached into his back waist band and produced the pistol he’d taken from 425 and raised it in the direction Lily said. He knew he wouldn’t be able to shoot whatever was lurking out there but if they could see them then hopefully he could frighten them off with the show. Archer berated himself for the wishful thinking, ‘these are professionals here! They’ll know I can’t see well in the dark . .”

Archer weighed his options and figured he’d they’d have a better chance of survival if he took off running. Lena may have been able to handle herself, but the two of them were sitting ducks. Archer’s cocked the gun back then asked one last question asking “Are they wearing anything over their face?” Lily peered into the dark and Archer could even see her squinting as she tried to get a clear picture. “They have a pair of goggles on their head.”

“Probably night vision . . . Damn!" Archer’s mind began working overtime as he knew he wouldn’t have long before either the fire went out and he was done for in the dark or he took off running aimlessly in the wilderness, both not optimal choices but he thought to himself if combining them would work.

Archer took a nearby stick and placed an end in the fire. The small twig immediately took to burning as Archer tossed the stick over his shoulder into a nearby patch of grass. The small fire quickly spread to the dryer grass and started burning. Archer felt bad for what he was doing but if it were his daughter or tree, he’d gladly save his daughter any day of the week. The fires quickly caught on, tearing through a large dry grass field and threatening to engulf trees.

Archer positioned themselves behind a tree and waited for some more fires to catch but found himself out of time when a bullet tore through the side of his tree. Both him and Lily heard the whiz from the round and Archer knew it was time to run. He bolted into the woods as the lower forest floor took to fire. He moved from side to side, hoping to be a difficult target from whoever was trying to kill him. He could the plinks and pings of rounds as they bounced off trees and rocks. Archer aimed his gun towards the noise of the shots and fired off a couple of his own rounds into the dark, not with the intention of hitting the figure, but hopefully making enough of a stir that would alert Lena.

The father could just barely see the outline of some animal perched up in a tree that was beginning to catch fire. They were covered up from head to toe in black and the only accessory that was identifiable was the night vision goggles over their eyes. Archer weaved and bobbed around tree after tree, making sure to never be in one spot more than a millisecond. The two finally cleared the woodline and found themselves at the edge of the lake they’d seen earlier, though there was no sign of Lena. Archer quickly looked from side to side then behind him before he dashed for the water saying “Deep breath Lily.”

The daughter nodded and took a breath as Archer dived into the water. Archer swam as close as he could to the bottom and did his best to wade underneath the water as long as he could. He was well aware of how bullets and water worked so he knew they would be safe as long as they didn’t poke their head above water too much. The smaller feline seemed uncomfortable but fine with the amount of time they were holding their breath but Archer already had to dive up for a breath. He swam away from his entry point and popped his head above the water really quick then dived back down as he heard a round whiz by.

Lily tugged on her father’s shirt then pointed to a long group of waterlilies and reeds sticking out of the water. Archer nodded and swam towards the cover, hoping that they wouldn’t be detected in the thick underbrush. The two popped above the water and floated inside the reeds, doing their best to be as quiet as possible. The night was now completely silent save for the small brush fire burning and the slow rustle of the wind across the lake. Archer wanted to pop his head from cover but knew better than to be that impatient.

Both father and daughter waited anxiously before four loud gunshots rang through the forest, scattering birds and other night time creatures. Lily instinctively jumped but Archer sighed in relief at the sound. By now he had become quite familiar with the sound of Lena’s personal weapon. It was loud and gaudy, not quite the weapon he expected a discreet assassin to carry but he was thankful for it anyway because it meant that she had killed whoever was out there.

Archer peered outside of the reeds and smiled at the sight of his wife standing over the camouflaged body of their assailant. Archer paddled over with Lily and made his way over to Lena asking “Who was he?”

“First of many who are now after u- I mean me . . . Look Archer you ne-”

“No. Don’t say it. I know what you’re thinking now. We’re not going to split up.”

“They want me, not you two.”

“and you don’t think they won't use us to get to you? They can’t touch you Lena, you’re one of the best. But they can touch us and they will if it means they get you. We’re all in this together whether we like it or not alright?” Lena wiped a tear away and wrapped herself around her family, happy they were willing to stick by her side despite the danger she was putting them in.

“I promise I’ll make things up to you two . . . I swear it!”

“Let’s just worry about getting through the night first alright?”

PRESENT DAY

“You’re doing that thing again 302.”

“Huh? What thing?” 656 picked at his ice cream with his spoon saying “You’re staring off into space. You’ve got the 1000 yard stare man. Looking off into the distance like you’ve been to hell and back.” Archer took a bite of his ice cream then grimaced as he caught a nasty brain freeze. “Agh! Damn . . . Well cut me some slack alright? Unlike you and Lena I didn’t come out of my mother’s vagina a licensed killer.”

“Hey I’m just saying try to live a little. You guys have made it past the probation period! Agency usually sends five highly trained agents to take out a rogue if one is proving difficult. They’ve sent 7 after you guys and all of them have gone home in body bags. I’ve gotta say we’ve done well for ourselves.”

“We? You didn’t show up until after the attacks died down.”

“I was still around, helping you guys out! You think your old lady knew which routes and roads to take all the time? Which places to avoid? How to get somewhere where the agency wasn’t?”

“Oh and you knew!?” 656 laughed heartily saying “Eh maybe not all the time, but connects remember!! If I don’t know someone does!”

“Are we still high priority?” 656’s laughter died down and he leaned back in the booth thinking. He turned around and said “Hey 022? Pop a squat with us for a sec.” The mother snow leopard nodded silently and left Lily to her own devices. Once seated she asked “So are we still high priority?”

“Sharp hearing as always 022, anyways short answer? No doesn’t seem to be that way. I checked with a contact in your department actually 022. They said we’re still in the top 100, but the agency is focusing its efforts on keeping the key as real of a threat as possible. Looking to move the conspiracy to the next phase it seems.”

Archer looked out the parlor window and grimaced. “None of that means we won’t be attacked though. I don’t want to keep fending off the agency for the rest of our lives!”

“Cool it 302! Like I said we’ve cleared the probation period. Agency’s not going to exhaust too many more resources to take us down unless we were really worth the effort. 022 killed the last Director so I imagine the board will leave her alone for the time being. If anything were to happen next, it’d probably be reinstatement. Trying to get 022 to reenlist in the agency.” Lena hissed lowly saying

“ Never again. ”

“Hey I don’t blame you 022! I had my fun, but I want to take it slow. Not many agents live to see my age so I want to enjoy whatever time’s left ya know?” 656 laid back and propped his feet up on the table. He looked over at Lily and smiled saying “What you two got over there is something real precious. I never had a kid, but I can see the appeal now. I know you two’ll protect her with your lives but maybe this old dog should stay around just in case?”

Archer scoffed playfully replying “Oh sure. We can use the help of an old dog.”

“Show your elders some respect 302! Besides I remember getting away from 022!” Lena draped her arm over Archer’s and laughed saying “Well you only escaped once. I’ve never ever lost a mark!” The trio shared a heartfelt laugh then all got up stretching. With Lily in tow the group made their way outside and back towards their secluded wilderness home. Archer stalled at the edge of the forest and sighed softly. Lena took notice and turned around asking

“What’s wrong love?”

“Nine months on the run, and It still feels like yesterday that I was huddling up with Lily in the corner. How do you guys manage? I look at you and Six, and even Lily just going about life as if the last months never happened. It’s hard adjusting Lena . . .” The snow leopard stepped in front of Archer then wrapped her arms around him in a familiar embrace saying “It’s never easy adjusting Archer . . I never truly did, I just suppressed a lot of what I felt. It was all autopilot for me, severing connections is how I got through.”

“Not very healthy I assume?” Lena smirked and continued saying “Of course not, but I told myself I had to continue to support us. Amazing how if you lie enough to yourself you start to believe it.” Archer chuckled and pulled Lena closer with the snow leopard purring softly.

“Do you trust me Archer?”

“Of course” Archer replied reflexively. Lena pushed apart from him, shaking her head and saying “No I’m being serious Love. I know what I’ve put you and Lily through hasn’t been easy. The lying, the attacks, and now the training. It’s a lot to ask for my mistakes.”

“It is but you could’ve easily abandoned us to save your own hide. I’m just glad you stuck by us through everything.”

“Oh Archer . . I could never leave my family. You and Lily are all I’ve got left.” The pair broke apart and turned towards the house where 656 and Lily were playing some game. The older canine had the child perched atop his shoulders while he ran around. Lena smiled softly and said “I fear the most for her. I spent my childhood having to learn the fundamentals of being an assassin. It was something I didn’t want for her.”

“Life’s got a funny way of handling things huh?”

“I’ll say . . . It wont be easy. I just hope she won’t turn out like I did.” Archer draped an arm over Lena’s shoulder and said “She’ll be fine. She’ll have both of us to make sure she’ll learn from our past mistakes. She can get through this, it’ll just be up to us to make sure she does.” Lena nodded in agreement then leaned against her lover content with their live now. Uncertain about the future, but ready to tackle it with Archer.