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The Godkillers had come into existence just over a year ago... and they were the only gang that Zerrex hadn't bothered to drag face-first down a gravel road and quickly disposed of. No one was really sure why... but they had never done much more than harass people while out walking, made a public nuisance of themselves, and tried to look intimidating and cool while they loomed in dark alleys and places like this. If asked why they had been allowed to survive while the others had been torn apart, Zerrex would have shrugged and said two things: one, they didn't exactly do much of anything in the way of criminal activity... and two, he knew that they purposefully modelled themselves off the Goth Legion. Normally, this would be detrimental to their survival status, since Zerrex hated anyone who parodied his past even with the intent to flatter... but Cherry had been amused by the fact that a few of the members were fans of them, and she'd said they probably wouldn't ever get up to anything that the real Goth Legion would have.

The gang was made up of eight members that Lone knew of, and had a good amount of wannabes and people who associated with the gang, and would likely do anything for any member just to look cool and possibly be accepted into their ranks. Their 'gang colors' was an obvious misinterpretation of the Goth Legion itself... most of them had white-dyed fur, and they generally wore black clothes and heavy combat boots. Caught alone, they were generally laughable... but despite the fact that Lone was protected by Zerrex - a fact which the hypocritical lupine suddenly revelled in, which gave him the courage to approach them more boldly - he still didn't like the fact he was walking up to the three most dangerous members of the Godkillers.

These three were likely the true heart of the gang... the inner circle, the actual members. Compared to them, the other five who had been allowed in were probably just smoke and mirrors, expendables who were there to protect the leader of the gang and her two cohorts... Felicity, Tank and Mika.

Mika sat on the bench with his back to the others, leaning forwards a bit, a grin on the coyote's muzzle. His features were bleached white, but he had added black tattoos along his face that stood out prominently; twisting, dragon-like shapes that paraded from the end of his grin to his eye and ear, and from cheekbones over his skull and forehead on the other side. His eyes were a brilliant, natural silver, and it only added to the strangeness of his looks as he rolled his shoulders slowly. He wasn't muscular in the slightest, instead thin nearly to emaciation, and his heavy leather jacket and black shirt and pants all but hung off of his wiry frame. His combat boots were dirty and scuffed, and Lone knew the only reason he was with the others was because he was a genius: hacker extraordinaire, able to pick any lock, and a better driver than anyone could hope for in such a scrawny-looking creep. His hands - showing the real plain brownish-red of his fur - trembled a bit as they toyed with a palm pilot... the other failing of the coyote was his addiction to morphine.

Tank, on the other hand, was the opposite... a burly, huge badger who stood taller than Lone at six-seven and easily put Tinman to shame. His muscles were enormous, and the bulky, black-striped male always wore the same clothes as he did today... a tight leather vest that let him show off his impressive biceps, a leather cowboy belt with an oversized, skull-shaped clasp, and a pair of black jeans with leather chaps overtop. On his feet were combat boots kept in much neater condition than Mika's... and wrapped around his body was an ammo belt that held rounds of enormous size. Lone - being a bit of a gun freak himself - had always guessed from the look of the bullets and the fact they were strung together meant they were from something nasty like a Vulcan cannon... but surely an idiot like Tank couldn't get a hold of a gatling gun, right?

The badger's face wasn't dyed, at least... but the didn't have to, with his natural colorings of white and black. His muzzle was twisted in a grin much like Mika's as he stood with one leg up on a bench, leaning forwards, a necklace hanging down and a silver compass dangling from the end... and Lone once more wondered where the hell these idiots lived and how they could afford all the fancy toys that they did.

He stopped, then finally turned his eyes to Felicity, not liking the way his ears flattened a bit but unable to help himself. The vixen sat at the other end of the bench Tank had a foot up on, her legs primly crossed, a smile playing at her features and a sly look in her eyes that made anyone who saw the three instantly realize she was not only the leader of the others, she was obviously the most dangerous one there. But like the others, Felicity too had her own little uniform she wore almost daily: a loose, sleek leather jacket, a studded collar around her neck, a pair of chain bracelets about her wrists, and a belly shirt that showed off the stud piercing she had in her bellybutton... as well as a woven rawhide belt and skin-tight leather pants that always made Lone want to stare at her crotch, just to see what exactly he could see. But with her legs crossed, nothing fun was visible... although he winced a bit as he thought he spotted a bit of blood on the toes of her combat boots.

Other than her wear, Felicity too wore no face-paint or dyes: her red fur was red, and the white fur of her neck and inner body shone with its own ghostly essence. Blue eyes fluttered at him as she shifted back to try and show off her body, which ironically wasn't much: Lone always thought the most interesting thing about her wasn't her apple-like breasts but either her leather pants, or the fact she had nearly ten piercings in her head: one in the eyebrow, two small silver rings in one nostril, two in one ear, three in the other, and a stud in her tongue. As the vixen wrapped her own bushy tail around her waist, tilting her head up at him with a smile on features that didn't really make it to cute, he couldn't help but wonder for Gods knew how many times since he first saw her what it'd be like to kiss her and feel that stud with his tongue...

"Hey, Mr. Mayor." Felicity almost purred, and Lone smiled slightly, puffing up almost immediately as he crossed his arms and stood a bit taller, ignoring the sniggers of the two male idiots that hung out with the fox. She too glanced over her shoulder, and immediately Tank coughed and glanced away, which was enough of a sign to cause Mika to stop his snickering as well and look down almost respectfully. Then Felicity looked back at him, and the vixen smiled in return, her eyes half-lidding as she tilted her head and asked: "Who was that big guy you just chased out of the store?"

Her carefully-chosen words caused Lone to swell with pride again, and the wolf laughed before grinning and sucking in his gut, trying to make himself look tough as he glanced towards the parking lot: Requiem, however, was already gone, and the lupine felt a surge of relief. "Oh well, you saw that, huh? Well, that's Requiem Narrius... he's some... uncle or whatever of the Boss." A pause, and then Lone stepped forwards and leaned in as if conspiring with the vixen, adding in a quiet voice with a remarkable lack of consideration for what his gossip might cause in the future: "It actually turns out he's in town to try and kill Zerrex... and since he already beat the shit out of him once, I think he just might do it!"

"What?" Felicity didn't have to fake her surprise this time: originally, the vixen had just been manipulating Lone as she did every time she saw him, mainly because he was an easy target and always held good information on everyone passing through town with how nosey he was. This bit of information, however, caused her to change directions entirely, and even made both Tank and Mika stare and gape.

Lone smiled again and nodded firmly, crossing his arms and looking pleased at the shock he'd caused and the fact he felt like he was finally getting the respect he deserved, straightening and crossing his arms, still having no clue that Felicity's original intent was to go and see if the Godkillers could waylay the huge-but-rich-looking outsider: their only prey, since people travelling through generally didn't know to, or absolutely would not talk to Zerrex about the misdeeds of the local gang. "Actually I was there... damn, you should have seen it! We were all having this meeting, see, and the whole family of the Boss was there... and then this giant comes along. And all of us watch as the Boss stands up, but he's already like, pissing-his-pants scared...

"And they end up fighting... hell, he even cheats and gets his scary-ass kid and bitch - and oh, and that weird metal guy! - to help him out, but Requiem there doesn't even flinch, barely moves and he kicks all their asses with like, one-hand behind his back!" Lone prattled, nodding solemnly and not even noticing how seriously he was overexaggerating the Dragokkaren's power or the lies he was spreading about Zerrex. He'd been doing both so often that it came as naturally to him as breathing now. "And so like, eventually it's down to just Zerrex and Requiem... and Zerrex is throwing everything he's got at him, but the giant reptile just keeps warding him off and finally starts really beating in him on earnest, he just wrecks him! Oh, the Boss was crying and puking and... it was just fucking pathetic." Lone laughed a bit, shaking his head as he looked skywards, then he looked down with a bit of a satisfied grin, adding idly: "And then Requiem took the Boss's daughter and said if he ever wanted her back, he'd have to beat him in a fight in a week. So Zerrex is training his ass off to try and fight that big scary motherfucker, but he doesn't stand a fucking chance!"

Lone failed to realize that he had just completely negated the shield of protection Zerrex's presence had once offered him: he also failed to recognize that he had just walked up to the last criminal organization in the entire city and all but told them that he was now without any protection, and that the whole city could be their playground because the dark guardian that normally made sure no crime escaped punishment had vanished in order to train to fight off a foe who had vanquished even him in combat. The wolf only stood, grinning stupidly as he regarded the looks of completely disbelief and shock on the three members of the gang, congratulating himself on telling such a good story and finally getting the looks he wanted to see when people looked at him. Awe and amazement.

Then Felicity stood and shook her head a bit: fortunately for Lone, even the fast-thinking vixen was currently dumbfounded enough to overlook the fact she could kill the wolf in front of her if she wanted to and likely wouldn't suffer the consequences for her actions ever. But ever since she'd been a child in Comfort Town, she had looked up to Zerrex and his former Goth Legion as something to aspire to and someone who was indestructible... and the other members of the Godkillers felt much the same way. Now their hero had fallen from grace, and she grit her teeth as she walked past the wolf, calling harshly over her shoulder: "Come on! Mika, call a gang meet... Tank, get your ass in gear and find out where that big fucker is staying and what's up with the Boss. I'm going to take a ride and see what else I can dig up on things..."

She paused, then turned, bushy tail flicking as she looked at Lone, who now seemed somewhat upset that the people he thought had admired him and his prowess - even though his story had nothing to do with him - were abandoning him. So she quickly smiled, then stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck. She was a bit shorter than him, but still tall enough that their noses almost touched as he looked down at her with surprise in his eyes, and then she said softly as she ground her body against his: "Thanks for the information, Mr. Mayor... maybe we can hook up and talk some more later, huh? I'll... give your office a call tonight."

She leaned up a bit, and for a moment Lone thought he was going to get his wish, was going to find out what it was like to kiss her... but then she slid away and winked at him before walking off with Tank and Mika, the former giving the wolf a jealous, angry look, clenching his hands together threateningly. Lone, however, elated by this - and with his pants starting to tent slightly from a growing erection - only sneered in return and tilted his head upwards, crossing his arms and looking haughtily back. Yeah, take that! All the bitches are wild for me...

Felicity smiled to herself, shaking her head a bit as Mika and Tank broke off for their cars, and she headed for her rusting motorcycle that had been painted black and modified as she could spare the cash so it looked like a mockery of Zerrex's bike. Lone was obviously easy enough to puppet, and she figured that sleeping with him couldn't be too bad... after all, he wasn't too bad-looking, if a bit pudgy around the middle. But for now, she wanted to be alone to think, her smile disappearing and eyes clouding over as she hopped on her bike and dug through her pocket for her keys, as Mika drove his car - a military-class Humvee given to him by his doting, loving, Apple Villa parents - over the curb carelessly and Tank followed in his beaten up, five-hundred dollar piece of shit car with the mismatched doors and peeling roof.

She had been born and raised in Comfort Town... and thee years ago, when the Boss's Judgment had occurred and Apple Villa had finally been crushed and broken, she had been fourteen. She had cheered with the rest when Lone's broken, bloody body had been dragged out by the reptile and thrown down the steps of the Mayor's home on live television... and had partied with the adults and the other children of the slums of Comfort Town when they had found out that Baskin's Grove could be whole again, that they didn't have to worry about the police blockades or the tax laws or being beaten and silenced so they could never tell Zerrex what had happened while they tried to walk into Apple Villa to pick up a gift for someone special, or even to go to work. And it had all seemed so damn bright...

After all, even though she had been so young... she knew that before Zerrex had shown up, it had been Hell. The war between the two parts of the city had been worse, and there had been so much crime... she herself beaten regularly by neighbors, abused in horrible ways as a child by both adults and the other children alike. Zerrex had been a personal savior for her, although she'd never had the courage to join his pseudo-fan club like the other girls, by writing a fake mercenary request and letting him fuck her as he pleased.

But she'd always wanted to approach him, talk to him... especially all the more after finding out about his past, at least as far as she and her rich but dorky Apple Villa friend Mika could dig up. And months after Lone had fallen, the wolf had begun to babble strange rumors if he was drunk enough or just if he wanted to impress people... rumors about a military force called the Goth Legion, and Zerrex's role in it.

It had been the stuff of tabloids, sure, but Felicity had listened close nonetheless and had Mika research it... and eventually the hacker had found some classified information that told the whole story, and the vixen had felt her respect double, triple, and increase to the maximum. In her eyes, Zerrex had been truly free, was truly a god walking the world with the power he wielded and the way he could hurt and kill as he wished without ever suffering any consequences, with the way he made other pain suffer... but unlike the others who admired his sadism, she also found she could justify every one of his actions, turned him from a cruel demon to a cold, hard god that rained down punishment as he wanted.

And the unit itself had also interested her... mainly because they had all possessed some strange ability. Felicity found herself, for the first time, confronted with something that made her feel almost at home... that was similar to her. For she too possessed some weak, weird ability that let her slam doors, move things with just a glance, and shove back the people who tried to hurt her. In a few weeks, she'd learn that the proper term for this powerful ability that she had hidden in herself for so long was called telekinesis.

But soon enough, after the victory celebrations and the reinstallation of a Mayor Wulfe who was obviously being manipulated and controlled by Zerrex, she found that life was again declining. They still lived in the slums... they were still poor... her father still hit her as he liked... and her mother was still dead. Nothing had really changed from the past she barely remembered as a child... and it threw her into despair. She wished every day that Zerrex would appear and whisk her away... wished that she had the courage to write a letter to the Boss... and hoped that someday some miracle would happen that would free her from the filthy home she lived in and was growing to hate more and more, day after day.

She admired Zerrex... saw him as an infallible hero... and more and more, was beginning to wonder what he could do with his body, what he looked like naked, and if one day she would be able to trace her fingers over the scars and form of his body, touch his firm muscles, feel his hands settle on her body. To her, the Boss really was a savior god... and she hated how unworthy she felt, how she knew she was less-than-attractive, how her breasts were small and her body tall and thin, but not in a good way.

Felicity shook her head a bit as she finally started up her motorcycle, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes tight for a moment before she revved the engine, then took off with a squeal of rubber, easily hopping the stone guards in front of the sidewalk and then jouncing off the curb, ignoring the honk of horns and yells as she slewed into traffic and then shot off down the street, riding more along the yellow median than either edge of road. She knew the cops wouldn't give chase to her... she was a dangerous driver, and although her motorcycle looked like crap it could go far faster than any cop car in the crowded city streets.

Instead, she continued to think as she drove out towards the edge of town, cursing quietly to herself at the thoughts flooding into her mind. When she had been fifteen, she had started down the road she currently walked now, dropping out of high school and taking a job as a waitress at Elliot's... and for her, that was like a dream come true. She worked the day shift, sure, but she was working at a place that in her mind was legendary, with people who had walked and sometimes even spoken with - maybe even touched! - a god. It was a miracle to her... and she loved every moment of her work.

Then, one day, she'd been working behind the counter - and she'd thought her elation couldn't get any higher, as she cleaned glasses with the owner of the bar working right beside her, the mythical Elliot - and taking orders while mixing and serving drinks. It was another reason that she had been so happy and amazed... her new job meant that Elliot was actually trusting her with a serious position, and that she had made it past probation. After all, there was an army of available waitresses and waiters who wanted to work at Elliot's at any time... if just to meet the Boss and walk in the place he had once walked. But Felicity had been tougher than the others, had stood up to the tasks that the cheetah had asked her to do in his kind voice always without complaint, had come in early, worked overtime, and made sure to never be late... and he had gone from looking at her with a certain grimness he treated all newcomers with to smiling and even talking to her as an equal. She truly cherished that feeling...

And then she'd glanced up as the door had been opening, and nearly dropped the glass she'd been cleaning as two Drakkaren entered, one of them a smiling, cheery-looking young female in a chemise that was tied at the front, with a plain, tight shirt beneath and a pair of jeans... and behind her, a tall, muscular reptile in all black, with ivory hair falling neatly to his shoulders and emerald eyes shining from his features like green suns. She had barely managed to keeping cleaning, barely stopped herself from simply halting and gaping as none other than Cindy and Zerrex entered the tavern and headed towards the counter...

She shakily put the glass down behind the counter, dropping to a squat and then quickly standing to begin wiping down the already glassy surface, getting rid of the few inevitable spots and rings from glasses as Elliot walked around the counter with open arms, trading a hug with Cindy and shaking Zerrex's hand. She envied him, and the way that he spoke with Zerrex like they were old friends... but at the same time, she couldn't help but soak in the sound of her hero's voice and the powerful presence of the huge lizard.

Then Cindy - who had been edging away as Elliot and Zerrex began to chat more on business-like things - glanced over at her, before she suddenly walked around the front of the counter and smiled warmly, looking at her with bright eyes that made Felicity's own widen and swallow quickly. She reached up and poked the small ring she had in her nose, and the vixen blushed deeply as Cindy said warmly: "Those piercings are awesome."

"T-Thanks..." the fox stuttered, laughing a bit and reaching up to rub the back of her head as Cindy leaned forwards a bit, studying her features - back then, she'd been missing the eyebrow and two of the ear piercings, and had only had the one ring in her nose. Then the Drakkaren paused before peering closer at her mouth, and the vixen reared her head back a bit. "What?"

"Hey, do you have one in your mouth, too?" Cindy's voice was almost awed, and Felicity blushed deep again before opening her jaws and sticking her tongue out, showing off the stud that sat on her tongue. The Drakkaren clapped her hands together, looking delighted. "That's so cool..." then she grinned wide, and looked over at Zerrex, who was looking at his daughter mildly. "Can I get something like that, Daddy?"

Zerrex looked at Felicity... and the vixen's heart skipped as he actually looked at her, sizing her up and drawing his eyes over her piercings, her muzzle still hanging open and tongue out stupidly before she blushed deeply and quickly snapped it shut. Then he glanced back at his daughter and said plainly: "No." A pause and Felicity felt her heart sink in her chest, wanting to berate herself for being a child and getting so many piercings because they obviously looked stupid on her... and then she couldn't help her ears perking and from looking at her idol with a fawning gaze as he added absently: "Even though I do like the tongue one myself. But you'd probably cry and swallow it or something."

"Daddy!" Cindy stormed, glaring up at her father and hitting his chest lightly, and the vixen smiled widely, feeling amazingly peaceful and wonderful. That day had been glorious... truly, the best day of her life, since Elliot had apparently noticed her fancy and even let her serve Zerrex when he'd sat down at his reserved spot - a place in the bar she had sat herself on occasion after-hours, just to feel what it was like, to sit in the same place as Zerrex once had - and work with Cindy in the back. She had been amazed at how open and compassionate the female had been, and it had only made her conviction that her idol was a powerful but just and righteous hero all the more firm. How else could he have such a beautiful daughter?

Felicity smiled to herself as she drove slowly over the rickety bridge out of the city, and past a windmill... not noticing the car parked in front of it, or the trail through the tall grasses that had grown up around it. Instead, she kept going, closing her eyes and heading towards one of her favorite thinking spots, hands tight on her handlebars as she let herself relish the memory for a moment... before sighing and opening her eyes to gaze ahead at the road before her, easily swerving around a pothole, expression saddening. Just like she'd heard Zerrex had said once, everything was about balance... and her glorious day had been quickly and spitefully balanced out by the next, which had been a living hell.

When she'd gotten home, she hadn't realized her father wasn't there... which usually was a bad sign, since it meant he was either working overtime or out with his friends, both of which always led to trouble for her. She'd gone to bed and had wonderful dreams of Zerrex and the day, imaginings where she had served him and he'd asked her to sit with him, and she'd sat on his lap and they had kissed and she had touched him... done more than brush his hand when she'd passed him his bottle of whisky or glass of ice cubes, in other words. But that touch alone had been like touching raw power and strength... and it had sent a shiver through her that was nearly electric and made her stomach turn over... made her loins ache in a way that they never had before.

In the morning, she'd awoken and stretched, then gone out to prepare breakfast for herself and for her father before doing her usual chores... but when she came out of her room clad in her tattered nightrobe, the greying fox was already sitting at the table and looking at her with a strange distaste that made her shrink back a bit, confused by his glare. Then he threw the newspaper down on the table, rattling his coffee cup and saying quietly: "Look."

Felicity had stepped forwards, not knowing what to see... but the last thing she'd expected was a black and white picture of the Boss and his daughter leaving Elliot's... and then she paled as she realized her face was easily visible in the glass behind them, watching them leave with fawning eyes. She stepped back a bit and hugged herself tightly, swallowing at her father's glare, then she stuttered: "I... I meant to tell you..."

"I phoned the school to check, and I found out that you left. Apparently had a note and my permission. They said they tried to contact me about it, but I never got any messages." Slowly, the male rose up from the table, a snarl spreading over his muzzle as he clenched his hands into fists. His dirty paramedic's uniform was wrinkled and spattered with blood, and the young vixen knew that he must have been out all night driving around and maybe even picking up some of the Boss's leftovers... which was part of the reason she thought her father hated Zerrex and her love of him so much. The other part? Well, he was just a bastard, in her opinion.

She tried to come up with some excuse, but then only managed to shriek as he leaned across the table and slapped her hard, sending her reeling into a wall. She winced, touching the bruise there, and then her eyes widened and she began to step back as her father pulled out his black medical bag and dropped it on the table, looking at her grimly even as she cried: "Please no! Please, Dad, don't, I'll be a good girl, I can be good, honest!"

"Stupid whore, just like your mother." He'd said... and then he'd pulled out the scalpel and the needle, and she'd only been able to scream once before he'd gone to work on her. Felicity closed her eyes tightly at this memory, the motorcycle weaving a bit as she rode now down a dirt side road, letting out a shuddering breath before she forced her eyes open and she swallowed thickly, pulling up to the side of the road. She dismounted, then quickly crossed the grassy ditch and up a steep face of dirt and weeds, clawing at the ground as she almost fell forwards before she reached the top, running into the forest on the plateau and wiping at her eyes even as the tears soaked through her fur, touching her small breasts and letting out a single bitter sob through her muzzle.

After a few minutes, she reached a clearing and sat on a fallen log there, looking up at the sky as she shrugged off her jacket and let it fall to the ground. She rocked a bit, hugging herself and looking down, thinking of the things her father had done to her in the past... hating herself for the fact she had been too weak to tell anyone until it had been almost too late. Her hands silently traced over her bust and the scar tissue she could feel beneath... neat scars, in perfect lines, with the dots left by deep but immaculate stitch-work on either side. It's why she'd never slept with anyone she'd cared about... and why no one had ever seen her naked, especially from the front. She wore the same shirts and clothes as all the other girls... but never exposed her cleavage, or up much higher than her bellybutton. The tracework of scars started from her stomach and went over her bust... but her father had been careful to not scar any areas that couldn't be covered. And down between her legs...

She reached a hand down and silently squeezed her crotch: down there, she had scars along her inner thigh, and the lips of her sex... and from her clitoris to her waist. She hated the way her body looked, the way she was scarred... and then she rubbed silently at the final scar her body bore: a large, crescent-shaped zone of white on her forearm. That had been when he'd swung at her head with a hot firepoker in a fit of rage... and missed, but managed to rip through her arm nonetheless. How she had screamed... and finally got the guts to run past him instead of listening to him yell at her and berate her for being a deviant, a whore, a disgusting mess, and out into the world. She had phoned for an ambulance, ironically enough... and they had taken her in, and one of her father's oldest friends had been there, Hal.

But unlike her father, Hal was a good person... he'd seen what happened, gotten the story from her, and gotten her to show her body and the other scars she bore on her body. Finally, the black bear had nodded quietly and told his partner he was going to have a talk with his old friend, as he'd rolled up his sleeves and strode towards the apartment... but everyone could hear her father yelling, then his shrieks of pain and the sounds of crashing and combat inside the apartment.

Finally, Hal had come out with a bloody nose and wiping at his hands - soaked as well with blood, and not just that of his own. He'd said to call the cops, and things had gone from there... but for some reason, Felicity had never been able to look at Hal with complete respect. She didn't know why or how, but it seemed she still did love her father... and enough that she'd left Hal's home after only staying with him for a few months with her as his foster father, instead choosing the streets instead of the sanctuary he had provided. Not because she didn't like him... but because she felt she didn't deserve the care he gave her with how part of her dared to still be bitter and angry with him for saving her life.

Obviously, she'd lost her job... well, been forced to lose it really, after she had been found out. Her father had left her tied to a chair, drugged with a paralytic but still able to feel the horrible pain her body... but it was the humiliation and agony of her father's speech to Elliot on the phone that truly hurt, that made all the cutting and impromptu surgeries seem like gently scratches in comparison. "I told you, fuckface. I don't want my daughter working in your shitty bar... there's no way I'm letting her suffer under you or your kiddy-fucking, sicko friend! You just stay the hell away from her, you hear me? I'm not scared of you or that fucking Boss!"

The humiliation had been too great for her to ever even approach the tavern again... but since she'd dropped out of school and it was too late to resume taking classes, her father had forced her to get another job, working days at a grocery store, and giving all of her money over to him so he could go out drinking on his nights off and party with his friends, and pay for all the fancy drugs he liked to use on her to shut her up or so she didn't struggle while he played mad doctor.

Felicity sighed quietly, then she dropped her hands in her lap and looked down, rocking a bit on the spot and looking a rock on the ground near the log. She frowned, then concentrated and narrowed her eyes a bit, and the rock slowly floated up into the air; it spun slowly for a moment, then she let the baseball-sized stone fall back to the ground with a quiet thud. "If only I'd learned to use that sooner..."

It had really only been a year ago, around the time she'd gathered up the other outcasts and freaks she'd met living in one of the abandoned apartment complexes, that she'd really started learning how to use her powers. Sure, she'd always been able to do little things, but she'd never had any control or realized until later that it must have been her. She'd just... wish something to happen, and something would move. The fox rubbed at her head quietly, then looked around again as she thought back to those days, letting her mind roll as it would. Eventually her thoughts would order themselves... and eventually she'd know what she had to do. That's how it always worked...

Living on the streets had been hard for the first few months: she almost vomited the first time she'd dug in a trash can for food, but then she'd gotten used to it... and Mika visited her every now and then, gave her meals and shelter when he could. He was a good guy, Mika... a bit too hardcore into geekery but she still liked him, and she felt sorry for what he was doing to himself with the drugs. She knew she couldn't help him there, though... he had his own personal demons to deal with, just as she had hers, and so all she could do was support him through his long night as he had through hers.

But one day, Mika had stopped in as she was begging on her usual Apple Villa street corner, and told her about a place called "Exile Village," back in the Comfort Town slums. She had nodded silently and promised to check it out later, after she got a bit more money for food... and he'd given her some of his change and wrapped a blanket around her he'd brought from home, before jumping back on his bike and continuing on the way to school. The fact he'd stolen a blanket from home and brought it all the way out here for her had made her cry with thankfulness... and a few hours later she'd found herself back in the slums.

She'd grown up here... she'd lived in one of the apartment buildings... and now she lived on these familiar streets. They weren't so bad, once you knew the people, got familiar with the surroundings... the other street-people were friendly, after all, and the influence of the Boss kept things quiet and strangers from hurting strangers. No, only family got away with hurting family now... which she supposed was a bitter, cruel irony.

Following the directions Mika had given her, she ended up at a broken-down, condemned apartment complex that had most of the windows boarded up... and most of those boards rotten and falling off. She'd entered, called a trembling hello... and upon receiving no answer, decided to roam. She'd been surprised by a large male who'd ambushed her at the top of the stairs, grabbing her and covering her mouth with a snarl... but then his eyes had widened and he'd immediately let her go, apologizing and saying quietly that he hadn't realized she was "one of them."

She'd been confused at first... but then the badger - Tank, as she learned to call him - brought her to a common room on the second floor, and she'd found a group of the homeless there, most of the dirty and befouled, and a few still wearing the trappings of what was once fine clothing or jewellery as if they were fallen royalty. She'd been worried at first... but the inhabitants of Exile Village gladly welcomed her into their folds, and suddenly she had a home again... and more, people that cared about her.

The rules of the place were simple: it was its own little community, and didn't allow crime or the rich into its folds. The people had to respect each other and protect each other, and the money they made from begging or whatever other work they did was all given into one large communal pot at the end of the day. This money then was counted and divided up accordingly for three causes: the food budget, the Village Tax, and personal fare.

It was a beautiful little communal system... the food budget got most of the money, but they always made sure that it was enough to go around and feed all eighteen or so members of the Exile Village... and the Village Tax was kept in a safe to keep it away from greedy hands. The hope was to one day accumulate enough wealth that they could buy beds or at least some repairs for this broken-down apartment building... after all, it was only condemned because the top floor had been burned down, and the owner had decided it wasn't worth spending the money to fix. Martin, a dreamy-looking horse who always wore a long, faded green overcoat, purple scarf and a ripped top-hat, said that his personal wish was to one day get enough money to buy some hammers and shingles... then they could demolish the rest of the floor above, sell off the broken lumber, and turn the third floor into a proper roof for their two-level kingdom.

Finally, the personal fare was divided up and given to each of the people in the Exile Village... some days it mean that everyone got a few pennies, and on a good day a dollar or a bit more. On that first day, Billy - an elderly raccoon who everyone looked to as the leader of the Exile Village, and one of the founders of the place - had said Felicity could keep her earnings from today if she wanted to... but she had shaken her head and gladly donated all the money she had made to the pot, and he had smiled. It had been a good start to her months there...

Mika had visited a few times... the first had been uncomfortable, since Tank had nearly broken his neck before dragging him roughly to the community room, and he'd obviously been unhappy with exactly where he was; however, it was more likely the fact that there was a large, angry-looking badger glowering at him then because he was a rich kid surrounded by poor people. But he had always been happy to help out and donate what he could, even working around Exile Village with the others to clean the place up as he was able to.

She remembered the fact they all had their own room... most people on the first floor, but a few on the second. It had been weird, being given a mostly-empty, musty room, and told she could do whatever she wished with it... she had no money, after all, and it wasn't exactly like she could just go out and steal things to put in it. But upon visiting the other rooms, she'd been amazed at the things people had found on the street and the way they'd been decorated... Tanks had broken guns and ammunition, duct tape and all variety of old tools... Billy had rows and rows of books, kept in homemade, damaged shelves and stacked along the floor, with a large beanbag chair he used as a bed and several tattered blankets... and Martin's had been the best of all, she'd always thought. The eccentric horse had a bed made of couch cushions and ripped sheets, a broken coat rack that had been carefully duct-taped together with several pieces of clothing dangling from it, as well as a perfectly-clean, perfectly-usable baseball cap that he disdained in place of his top hat, and a small broken desk in one corner, with a baseball bat and two old canes next to it. Martin had always fancied himself a great writer...

She'd loved it there... she'd found happiness without money, in the comfort of other people. But then, one night, while everyone had been sleeping, a gang of young, stupid kids broke in... kids who had obviously gone to high school in Apple Villa, moved away with their parents, but come back for a hoot and some fun, and probably because their hatred of Comfort Town had never died. One of them had probably noticed a light shining in the window of the condemned apartment building, and they'd come in to investigate... and all anyone remembered from that night was the sound of gunshots and screams, yelling and chaos in the darkness, and then breaking glass and finally footsteps slamming the ground and some idiot falling down the stairs before he too fled outside.

By the time they'd figured out everything that had happened, it was morning, and Felicity found herself crying in the common room, clutching one of the other girls who'd survived the attack. Tank was resting against a wall, bloody and looking ashamed, hands trembling and muttering, pleading quietly with himself about how he couldn't be that weak, that he couldn't stop any of them... and the other eight had just sat silently. That day, four of them would pack up and leave Exile Village forever.

Billy was dead. Stabbed and beaten... no one had heard it, not even with these thin walls. They had all grown too complacent with the idea of protection, and too used to the abuse that still happened, that still managed to pass undetected under the gaze of the Boss... and Martin too was now nothing more than a corpse. He'd been shot... apparently his last act had been trying to defend the family of three in the room next to him, his baseball bat fallen from his hand, his body slumped against a wall and that ridiculous top hat he'd always worn fallen quietly over his eyes, as if he was asleep...

The other two girls were just gone... but it was obvious what had happened to them. There would probably be mention of a rape and killing on the outskirts of town... but maybe not. After all, it's not like anyone would ever report their abduction, or that anyone would care... and Felicity had cried harder at that and wished again that they could just be safe, that she could do something...

That night, they'd all sleep together in the common room... except for Tank, who would stand guard outside with Martin's bat tight in his hands. The next morning Mika showed up, offered his condolences, his comfort... and to help bury the bodies of the fallen. It had been a generous offer... but Tank had said no, they had something different to do.

That night had been the cremation out in the back: they had burned the bodies down to nothing but ashes in the stone alley, and all the while Felicity had clung to Tank and Mika, situated safely between them... one in his casual but expensive clothes, the other dressed in jeans with one leg missing from the knee down and a torn tank top taken out of a trash bin. And looking up, Felicity thought she saw a tall Drakkaren watching silently from the rooftops... and she had nodded to him, not sure if he was an illusion or not. But Zerrex had stepped quietly back and turned away, leaving them to take care of their dead in peace, and she had been eternally thankful, thoughts of her hero filling her mind in a way they hadn't for the longest time... and as she watched the corpses of four adults and a child burn, she realized there was something they could still do.

"We need to stop those bastards from hurting anyone else..." The vixen had said quietly, and she'd closed her eyes. She'd never contemplated killing anyone before... but her mind was sharp, and all of her ability was focused now towards taking revenge on those who had made her and her friends suffer... on following in the footsteps of her hero. "I want to hunt them down..."

"I do too..." Tank had said quietly, watching the flames, the light playing over the badger's features and making him look older than he was. "But Felicity... we can't. We're only seven people-"

"Eight." Mika interrupted, nearly silent but firm. Tank had snarled and looked up to perhaps reprimand him, before the badger had simply swallowed his retort and looked away when he saw Mika was crying.

So instead, he let the silence spiral out... and then the vixen reached down and took his hand, squeezing it quietly. On the other side, she laced fingers with Mika, and the two looked at her as she held their hands up against her chest, closing her eyes and bowing her head forwards. "I'm sure one of the guys was injured... he fell down the stairs. If we're lucky... maybe... maybe he checked in at a hospital somewhere. Mika can get us the records of hospital visits... I think it would have to be someone who was born in town, to know this district... but who lives out of town, out of the Boss's reach, to dare and defy his rules..."

The other two were nodding slowly... and so it had begun. Felicity had been right... one of the people who had attacked had indeed come in with a broken arm from being hit with a blunt object, and he had given his information in a rush to get out of town with his friends and then finally said that he'd lived here before, so they should have him on file. The visit had been starred because of the type of wound... a broken arm from a scuffle no one would admit to having, marks on the chest and arms as if scratched or clawed, and abrasions and bruising from falling down a set of roughly-made stairs... this explanation, at least, was consistent with the damage.

He had asked for the bill to be mailed to him, and Mika had turned his head and asked Tank if he knew how to drive. Tank had snorted, and then they had been off... after Mika had bought his friends some clean sets of clothing. At first both Felicity and the badger had been somewhat offended... but the coyote had cleared his throat and said that they both had to at least shower or bath before changing, and that they had no choice but to put on a new set of clothes because they were likely heading into an Apple Villa like area... and they'd be noticed immediately if they went in dressed as they normally did.

His words were a bit more tactful... enough that even Tank only growled a bit before saying he'd take a bath first then, just to make sure he got all the grime out of his fur. Felicity had been touched and she'd smiled, however, then said quietly that a shower should do fine for her... and so she'd taken the bathroom downstairs after listening to Tank filling up the tub, and showered until she felt clean and the only smell coming off her was that of the fragrant soap she'd used.

Then they'd gotten dressed and left: a two hour drive took them to Harbor Springs, and it was indeed a miniature Apple-Villa like town, quaint and expensive, relying on tourism to keep it alive. The three had no real plan, except to break in at nightfall and make him suffer for what he did... and so that night, they had done just that.

It hadn't been complicated... Mika was able to use his laptop to easily override the security system, and the electronically-locked doors of the Estate house had all popped open and given them easily access. They found the cat on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie with the volume loud enough that he hadn't heard any of them... and without thinking, Felicity had looked back and forth, then simply grabbed an ornamental sash hanging on the wall, walked up behind the feline as he laughed at something that one of the actors said and reached for another handful of popcorn... and she had wrapped it tight around his throat and pulled hard on either end.

How he'd struggled and fought... and she looked bitterly up at the ceiling. Tank had actually pulled her away at the last minute, before the bastard had asphyxiated... and she'd only stopped because Mika had reasoned that they needed to keep him alive long enough to find out about his friends, at least. The cat had been all too eager to talk, immediately giving up his two friends... but before Felicity could go back, Tank had stopped her with an arm and said quietly: "No. I'll do it. You two can leave."

He'd choked the cat to death and left him on the floor... the vixen hadn't seen that, but she'd heard it. And she hadn't left, either... instead, she'd looked around the house and then at Mika before saying quietly: "You know... he's not going to be using any of this shit... and it could fetch a good price..."

"Just load it up fast. And call me if anything's inside a glass case, it might be electronically sealed. I'm going to make sure there's no cameras, and that if there are, I'll make sure all the information on them gets deleted." The coyote replied tersely, then he'd headed off to his job, and Felicity had started on hers.

It had been much the same with the other two... deactivate the security, sneak up on them inside their posh homes, kill them and take their stuff. All three of them lived on their own, in ridiculous flats that their parents probably bought for them and were filled with all manner of junk... most of which was shoved into the Humvee's huge back and taken with them back to Baskin's Grove. They were back by morning... and had sold the stuff off by afternoon. Mika had declined taking any of the money, instead driving off in his Humvee and wishing them all the best, smiling faintly... but all three of them had been changed by what had happened that night. Felicity, however, was happy... and felt that she had gotten one step closer to being like her idol. And back in this city, she knew that they would be protected by him... that even if the police found out who they were and all that, they would never be able to lay a finger on them, because the Boss was here.

They had used the money to realize the dreams of Billy and Martin... they had repaired the apartment complex; in fact, they'd made it better. Now it was a whitewashed brick home, with a real common room, a kitchen, a dining room, a library, and a room for everyone who stayed at the place... as well as a few spares. They refurbished the entire interior... cleaned it all... and replaced much of the mildewed junk with freshly-bought, new things, bought clothes and all other sorts of stuff... but Felicity still felt strangely empty inside. That something was missing... and no matter how often the other five congratulated them and spoke so highly of their exploits, she couldn't help but feel something wasn't right; and from Tank's strange silences, she knew he felt that way too.

She thought about contacting the Boss... trying to talk to him, but she was still afraid of wasting his time. Now he was always on her mind, and finally, after weeks of this... she asked Mika again to bring up the information on the Goth Legion, and the idea had come to her, fully-formed, as if it had just been waiting for the right jolt of inspiration to make it come to life, awake and vital.

The Godkillers had been born at that moment and time... and it wasn't a gang like everyone said, it was their community, coming together. The leather, the facepaint, the way they acted... that was all just part of the show, part of the smoke and mirrors to disguise their past as weak, helpless street-people who had once lived in a home called Exile Village. No, they acted the way they did, dressed the way they did, because they were proud of who they were, and didn't want anyone underestimating them... and they made sure to protect who they could and hurt only who they saw as evils of the world, and just like the Boss, they didn't bother letting anyone know what their real work and motives were. In time, they'd figure it out... but even if they never did, doing this, being this way made Felicity feel complete. One day, she hoped to truly be able to at least reach her idol's feet... she knew that she'd never be able to stand eye-to-eye with him, but that wasn't important. She felt that even standing in his shadow would be like resting in the statue of a god... it would be bliss.

Felicity nodded quietly to herself as she gazed up at the sky above, watching clouds roll by... and now she knew what she had to do, as she smiled quietly. The secret was in there... the fact she wanted to help people, even if it meant wearing this mask that the Godkillers provided. After all, perhaps sometimes even her own personal god needed help... so why not offer that help to him? Why should she stand back as she had so many times in the past when she knew evil was going on... and just let her hero, her savior, her god, suffer needlessly because a cruel, horrible giant had taken his daughter?

"But how..." she murmured, frowning and looking at the ground quietly for a few moments... then she brightened as she looked up and straightened, speaking to herself excitedly as she came up with the answer: "Numbers! Numbers beat strength... so I'll get the boys to fan out and gather everyone they can find together! Mika's got a lot of contacts in other towns, after all, and the Godkillers have done quite a few operations on the outskirts and beyond the Boss's reach... I'm sure we can find or hire a good amount of people, and then all of us can lead an attack against this Requiem bastard and get the Boss's daughter back for him."

She nodded firmly, smacking a fist into her hand, then she smiled to herself: the right answer always came to her when she spent time alone. Then she reached out a hand and her leather jacket floated up from the grass before soaring over to her and dropping into her fingers, and she tied it quickly around her waist as she headed back towards her motorcycle, intent on calling the others together and letting them know exactly what the plan was.

"Uh. No. You are not sticking that in my vagina." Cindy said flatly, looking up at Requiem distastefully. "And furthermore, I demand you let me out of here. My legs are really starting to hurt."

The Dragokkaren sighed: he'd just gotten back home and finished unloading the groceries on the table, before realizing he should have also bought a cooler, or at least some packs of ice... but the goddamn wolf distracted him and he'd forgotten that he doesn't exactly have a fridge available to him here. And now he's disgusted to find that Cindy's returned to being huffy and argumentative. "Fine. But I can't let you go. I'll be back in a little while"

He put down the box for the urinary device he'd picked up, and Cindy blinks before struggling against the chains as he turns and heads for the door again: she thought for a moment about calling out after him, but then simply let him go, frowning a bit and tilting her head as she lets her body drop back against the wooden pillar. "Did I push him too hard or something?"

Half an hour later, the Dragokkaren returned with a cooler in the back seat of his car, pulling up to the windmill and sighing. He stepped out, then opened the back door and pulled the cooler free, hefting it easily onto his shoulder as he bumps the back door closed with his hip and uses his hand to slam the other, before heading towards the door and rubbing his forehead slowly. Why can't she just be terrified for her life or something easy like that...

Requiem paused for a moment, however, as he heard a motorcycle approach. For a moment, he felt a distinct discomfort, then he turned and frowned a bit as the motorcycle slowed and then halted, and the rider - a vixen, he was thankful to note, not Zerrex as he'd feared for a moment - looked at him with something like anger on her features. He looked back mildly, comparing her species and various features to all the people he'd wronged over the years who could still somehow come back to try and exact some useless revenge... but the list was too long for him to be sure she wasn't just a speciesist or someone who'd once worked at the sawmill.

Then a strange feeling crept over his body, and Requiem winced, stumbling backwards a bit. He frowned: it was almost like someone had pushed him, and with a surprising amount of force. Immediately, he remembered the strange badger that had given Zerrex an interesting assist in combat, and his eyes slowly roved up to the vixen's face again... she, however, was already turning away, but he thought he saw a flicker of vicious satisfaction on her features as she revved the engine of the bike and drove away.

"Great." Requiem muttered, then he turned and headed back inside, slamming the door bad-temperedly behind himself and causing Cindy to squeak and jump, looking up at him guilty as she relaxed from her pressuring against the chains. The large reptile ignored her, however, instead dropping the cooler and causing the ice he'd already filled it with to rattle. He kicked it open, then turned and quickly dropped the few items from the store he'd picked up into the cooler and muttered irritably under his breath.

"Um... hey." Cindy cleared her throat, coughing a bit, and the Dragokkaren shot her a look that caused her to wince. She plowed onwards heedless, nonetheless, asking in a surprisingly-soft tone: "What's wrong?"

The large reptile paused... then he softened himself and reached up to loosen his choker and undo the first few buttons of his shirt, sighing as he walked over to sit down on one of the tables and crossing his arms as he glanced down at her quietly. "I'm sorry... I was rude just now. But one of your friends, I guess... someone else who uses an odd ability, like that badger..."

Cindy blinked, then she shook her head quickly as she shifted against the chains binding her. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you're stressed..." She paused, then gave a bit of a smile. "Well, I guess we both are... but... what do you mean?"

"I'm not sure." Requiem mused to himself, glancing down and slowly rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the ground, then he moved his eyes back up to meet hers. "I felt like I was pushed, but there aren't many people who can push me from a stable position. A vixen, in leather and on a bicycle... she looked at me, and I was forced backwards... do you know her?"

The Drakkaren blinked, then frowned... something about that called to her, but she couldn't quite place it. "No... no one I can think of offhand, actually, sorry. I know it's not one of Daddy or Cherry's friends, though..." she paused, and for a moment she almost knew who it was... but then the memory flitted away. "I dunno. I almost know who you're talking about... but Mr. Pettigrew is the only person who can do stuff like that. And he's not that strong unless he has metal around him..."

Requiem nodded, mentally filing the information away... but he wasn't interested in fighting anyone like that. True, it would be different than dealing with someone who used hand-to-hand, or someone who wielded weapons... from melee combat to more dishonorable long-range firearms. It would definitely be another challenge... but he wasn't interested in any more challenges. He had tried to bury himself in challenges to hide his guilt and shame, and that had only resulted in having to now do this most cursed of tasks... which reminded him of something. "I also ran into someone else today. An idiot wolf... he introduced himself as Lone Wolf or something. Sounds like a pathetic code name..."

Cindy snorted at this, and Requiem tilted his head curiously as the female looked up at him with entertainment. "Lone Wulfe, actually... it's got a U and an E, he gets all pissy when you don't pronounce his name perfect... you know, it has more of a woo than a wool to it, or whatever." She paused for a moment, letting the Dragokkaren digest this little tidbit, then added: "And it's his real name, or so he says."

Requiem nodded at this, reflecting on the way he pronounced his own name. More -quay than -quee, but that was probably just the bit of accent he still had from living in Hez'Ranna than anything else. "I'll keep it in mind. But he wanted me to help him with something... mentioned some ordeal that happened with your father. In fact, I've noticed a lot of different reactions about my nephew in this town, whereas in other places I've been, there's generally only fear. What happened here, and why is he so popular, if I can ask?"

Cindy's face darkened a bit, then she sighed softly and looked at the ground despondently, shifting a bit uncomfortably: she had to urinate badly, but was still stubbornly holding it in and didn't want to let the Dragokkaren touch her nether regions. Thinking of the past, however... that got her mind off her body's needs considerably and let her instead move to a different topic. "Lone... damn. I thought he was really changing..." she looked down, and then her eyes closed as she gave a quiet sigh.

The Dragokkaren shifted a bit on the spot, uncomfortable with the aura of disappointment radiating off this sweet, innocent girl in front of him... but then he quietly nudged her onwards, asking gently: "What happened?"

"Three years ago... everything hinges on the events of three years ago..." Cindy said softly, looking at the ground. "Sure, the Boss had been here before then, and perhaps even then he was changing... but until Lone came to town and... and until he killed Mary, the changes in Zerrex weren't happening fast enough to make a difference. In his own weird way, Lone is responsible for three things... the miserable civil war this city broke down into and the agony that Zerrex went through... but also the changes that drove my father to being someone who's maybe not good, but who takes care of this town and protects us all... and for bringing my whole family together. I... I feel terrible saying this, but sometimes I really hate him... hate him with all my heart... but mostly I just feel sorry for him." she glanced up at Requiem quietly, tilting her head and asking softly: "Can you understand that?"

"Yes. I can." The Dragokkaren glanced down, thinking of his own past for a moment, then he looked back up and met Cindy's eyes, reflecting for a moment on how they were almost the same color as his own. "I'd like to listen to your story, if you want to tell it."

Cindy smiled a bit at this, then she looked down quietly and said softly: "It all started the night some idiot in the bar slapped my ass... and Daddy took him out into the street to teach him a lesson..."

And Requiem listened for the hours it took Cindy to relate to him the story of three years' ago: of how Lone had come into town and tried to make a name for himself by illegally buying land deeds from the corrupt mayor, so he could sell Comfort Town for a fortune... and by getting rid of her father. Zerrex had always been the true ruler of the city... but in those days, Baskin's Grove had been two kingdoms: Comfort Town, and Apple Villa. And Apple Villa, the oppressive, rich side of town, refused to do anything to help Comfort Town, and always worked to hinder both it and the reptile they had come to rely on for protection from the corrupt politicians, police, and criminals alike.

He found out that Zerrex had grown attached to a girl named Mary, a young maid he'd 'kidnapped' from an Apple Villa home after fulfilling a mercenary request to take care of a cruel male who was making his fortune by selling children to the highest bidder and playing his fingers in slavery rings... and that Mary had been working her hardest to prove to Zerrex there was still a bit of light in him. He also found himself softening and saddening as Cindy closed her eyes and recounted the story of how Lone had raped her... and how she had ended up turning to her father for comfort in all forms, not knowing at that time she was his daughter.

As to Lone, Zerrex had beaten him badly and punished him for what he'd done... yet the wolf had still called in reinforcements to back his crumbling ambitions: the Goth Legion. And Requiem only felt his disgust at the wolf growing with each word that Cindy spoke, even though the noble creature always tried to put everyone in the best possible light.

Cherry, Tinman, and Vampire... the last remnants of the disbanded military elite unit. They had taken Mary from Zerrex's home, while the Drakkaren had been out with Cindy to do some shopping for her. Then, he'd been drawn into an ambush to try and save Mary's life... and Lone had shot and killed Mary in front of him. Zerrex had been infuriated, but had been forced to retreat from the trap and make his way back home, where Cherry had confronted him and the two had fought bitterly. In the end, however, Zerrex had spared her life... and they had ended up once more joining forces to take down Lone.

She recounted how Lone had taken over the city, usurping the position of mayor and using his newfound power to spread discord, while Vampire attacked those known to associate with Zerrex. Then, she summarized what she knew about the fight that had occurred between Zerrex and Vampire, and finally finished with Lone's new laws and how he had been attempting to wipe Comfort Town off the map before Zerrex had finally staged a full-out assault with Cherry against the wolf. He had spared Tinman... and for a reason that Requiem now truly couldn't understand, Zerrex had spared Lone's life.

For a minute or so, silence spiralled out, as the Dragokkaren frowned at the ground and crossed his arms, then he glanced up and asked, tilting his head: "Why would Zerrex leave Lone alive? After everything he's done... to you, to the town, to your friends and family... why... how can you be at peace with him?"

Cindy looked up at Requiem with a bit of a smile, and she again saw a reflection of Zerrex in the Dragokkaren, in the way they seemed to think and act. Then she slowly shrugged, causing the chains around her to jingle quietly as she met his gaze and said softly: "Killing doesn't change anything. It's just another body in the ground... I don't want Lone to suffer any more than he has already, because there's no point in just hurting people because they've hurt you, you have to teach them... I know sometimes pain is the only way to show people why they can't hurt anyone else, but sometimes... it just makes them more bitter. I just want Lone to be sorry for what he's done... and to not want to hurt anyone anymore. He's... he's lost. And lost, hurt people don't deserve to die any more than you or me."

The Dragokkaren frowned a bit as he looked up, taking in these words and the female's philosophy... and he did admit that it made sense on some levels, even to him. Then he looked down quietly and said softly: "I bet your father truly admires that level of resolve in you, Cindy. I've never met anyone as pure as you."

"Thanks, Requiem." Cindy said, smiling a bit in return and nodding to him. "I'd curtsy but I'm kinda tied up right now. Although you could help me with that and at least loosen these chains..."

"No." Requiem said flatly, but the look he gave her was tinged with entertainment as he rested back on the table. She muttered and fidgeted against the chains again, and then glanced from the box to the Dragokkaren and blushed a bit.

"Um. Then can you put that stupid thing on me?" she muttered at last, rubbing her thighs together, and Requiem rolled his eyes before nodding. He stood up and walked over to the box, easily tearing the top open before reaching in and pulling out several different pieces of plastic and machinery that were trapped in fitted Styrofoam. Cindy gritted her teeth, wincing a bit at the sight of something that obviously needed to be assembled, but the Dragokkaren's hands moved swiftly without bothering to glance at the instructions, putting the tube and 'cup' together, then finding the scented, sterile container and putting one end of the long tube into that.

He looked at Cindy mildly, then put the urination device down next to her and coughed as he squatted in front of her, meeting her eyes as he said calmly: "I'm going to need to take your pants off and fiddle with you a bit. Please don't squirm too much."

Cindy muttered in response, looking away, but she obligingly let her legs open and winced a bit, fidgeting somewhat against the chains and feeling her cheeks grow hot. As the reptile reached forwards towards her pants, fingers quickly opening her fly, she felt a strange heat growing in her lower regions. She bit her cheek, thinking that this was probably the worst possible time ever to feel horny... but then her eyes roved over Requiem's body, and she couldn't resist asking: "How do I know you're not going to rape me?"

Requiem glanced up at her, paused for a few moments, then he shrugged and returned his hands to jerk down her pants to her knees as he said plainly: "You're not my type."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Cindy asked immediately, frowning down at him and feeling strangely insulted, although also somewhat relieved... but part of her mumbled at the fact she obviously wasn't going to be getting sex on a regular basis like she was used to, as the Dragokkaren's hands now pulled down her panties. "Am I not pretty enough for you or something?"

"That works." Requiem said idly, and Cindy growled at him and strained against the chains, but thankfully didn't move too much as he used a finger to pull aside one lip of her sex. The female twitched a bit under his finger, and he made a slight face: despite his body, size, and masculine attributes... sex had really just never been his thing. He didn't see the appeal in a workout that just got you dirty and gave you pleasure until your body failed and you shot some disgusting stuff into the appointed victim. It was like someone who'd never trained with weights before jumping right into the heavy stuff... you either made an idiot out of yourself, or lifted something impressive and felt great... until it fell on you or you woke up the next morning and found your entire body was sore.

The Dragokkaren spread the female with two fingers easily, then he glanced back and picked up the urinal device: he figured Cindy wasn't paralyzed, so she wouldn't exactly need the motor. Moving with surprising dexterity, he slid the thin tube of plastic into Cindy's urethra, and she gave a choked gargle of pain before glaring down at the Dragokkaren and saying irritably: "Hey! Gentle!"

"Right. Because I'm sure your father is far more so." Requiem replied mildly, sliding the tube forwards until he judged the tube was deep enough. Then he moved to adjust the cup so it rested against her vagina, to catch any droplets that might somehow evade the tube.

"Daddy doesn't shove himself in that hole. Or do you not know the difference?" Cindy snapped, huffing and trying to cross her arms, but then muttering instead as the chains restrained her and just jingled a bit.

Requiem rolled his eyes as he courteously pulled up her pants and panties as far as possible without giving her any discomfort, muttering: "Daddy shouldn't be shoving him anywhere at all in you."

"You're just jealous." Cindy immediately responded, and Requiem stared at her with something like horror, making her grin a bit and blush, coughing as she resisted the urge to laugh. "Okay... uh... maybe not. Now go away, I have to pee."

Requiem rolled his eyes, ignoring her last request and instead making sure the container that was attached to the tube was sealed tightly. Then he wandered over to the box and pulled out the instruction manual, glancing over it to make sure he'd set it up correctly. Suddenly, Cindy gave a loud, pleased sigh, and the Dragokkaren rolled his eyes as he walked over to the worktable, deciding the best thing possible he could do right now was ignore her, thinking mildly to himself that she really didn't have to act the way she did, especially about something as distasteful as urination.