FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Zerrex followed the trail of damage and the sound of explosions in the distance, as Marina pressed back against him and relished every bump, every twist, and the joy of riding as she had as a child, safe against her father's body. They twisted through corners, down short alleyways, and ignored Hez'Ranna patrols or soldiers, Zerrex's new senses kicking in every now and then, warning him of impending attack; be it rock, bullet, or even Dragokkaren standing stupidly in the middle of the road. And at the speeds he was managing to keep up despite the catacomb of the city streets, it wasn't long before they reached a destroyed gate, where two jeeps were weaving back and forth.

Enforcers were lined up in front of the gates, firing their guns with cool, calculated precision, and Zerrex guessed that even with his newfound abilities, he'd have to be goddamn lucky to plow through their ranks... before Marina straightened a bit and then gave a grunt of exertion as she shoved a hand forwards. The Drakkaren could almost feel the wave of force departing from her... before the jeep laying side-down on the ground with several wounded rebels crouched behind it suddenly slid forwards and simply smashed through the line of Enforcers, squashing most of them as it rolled into the Untouchable District and scattered the others, who were quickly blasted down from rifle fire as Zerrex hit the brakes and slid to a stop. He grinned at the rebels as they stared at him, one hand wrapping around his daughter's waist as he looked back and forth before asking mildly: "I thought you were going to set up an escape route."

"Damn, Boss! Thank fuck." Huck wheezed, rubbing at his blood-splattered face from on board one of the jeeps, then he winced as Albatross jerked him back from standing on the platform.

"Get the wounded on the jeeps! Come on, we're only ten meters from the damn checkpoint, once we're in the Untouchable sector they can't lay a hand on us!" Albatross snapped briskly, and the other Dragokkaren nodded as several soldiers leapt off the jeep to grab the wounded and help them to the vehicles. Zerrex smiled slightly at this, then rose a hand when Albatross nodded to him respectfully before the Drakkaren drove his motorcycle forwards and through the ravaged gates.

Half a minute later, he was joined by the two jeeps, and one took point, Zerrex followed alongside the other that carried the two Commanders, calling over to them loudly: "So are you sure this area is clear?"

"That alarm you hear? It's a bit different from the ones outside!" Huck replied clearly over the din of the moving military vehicles and alarms that rang through the city. "It's a full lockdown alert, usually they use it when there's a biohazard or shit in the area... means everyone stays inside, only special patrollers out. We already fucked those guys up, though, and they won't be reinforced... and the Enforcers and normal GA are too busy keeping the gates shut to bother with us, and the protocol says to just stop enemies attempting to get through... they won't shoot at us unless we piss them off."

Zerrex nodded, amazed as always by the way that the soldiers clung to their rules and regulations... before glancing up at a familiar building in the distance and frowning a bit, before murmuring: "The hospital... is this-"

"Checkpoint." Albatross said clearly, and then the small convoy slowed before halting in front of the building. The two commanders leapt off with two other Dragokkaren soldiers... then Zerrex slid off his motorcycle as the jeeps took off again, the blue-scaled reptile smiling as the white-haired lizard tilted his head. "Well, we can't bring those through the passage... although your motorcycle will probably fit." He paused, then carefully slid the huge rifle he was still carrying into the holster on his back, making a slight face. "Doctors will bitch, of course, as they always do."

Marina quietly clung to Zerrex's side as she glanced up at the building... and Zerrex looked down at her for a moment before looking up again as both Huck and Albatross seemed to realize dumbly that the female was there, and who she was. For a moment, the group looked at each other lamely as the two soldiers went to hold the doors open... and then Zerrex said calmly: "This is Marina, my daughter. Marina, I'd like you to meet the rebel leaders, Tim Huckleberry and Cole Albatross."

"Jim." Huck corrected absently, then he leaned down and smiled cheerfully to Marina, crossing his arms. "And hello there, Marina, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Right." Marina looked crossly from one to the other, making them frown, before they both blinked as she snapped: "If Daddy says he can bring me back alive, he sure as hell can! Don't go doubting him, you assmooks!"

Zerrex winced, then he gently grasped his daughter's shoulders and pulled her back, calming her as he mumbled something about hormones before coughing and carefully lifting her back to sit on the bike, before grasping the handles and easily rolling it forwards into the foyer of the hospital. Huck and Albatross exchanged a stupid look, then followed wordlessly as the soldiers ran forwards to open the other set of glass doors for the Drakkaren that led into the emergency unit.

As he began to head towards the locked door at the back - a nurse already running to open it and looking at the cluster of rebels with awe and admiration - Marina suddenly put a hand to her father's chest, stopping him as she cocked her head. Then she softened and quietly reached up to stroke his face, the male looking down at her curiously as she murmured: "There's someone here you should go see alone, Daddy... a scientist... who's been waiting for you..."

"Mengele." Zerrex said softly, and he nodded before hesitating, then undoing the clip in the center of the bandolier to shrug it off and handing his sword to Huck, who had a moment to look at him curiously before almost falling over from Blackheart's weight and staring stupidly up at Zerrex from his half-crouched position. He paused, hating to leave them without explanation - and also loathing the eyes of the few civilians sitting in the emergency room - then finally saying plainly: "Go on ahead, take Marina back to base-"

"Fuck that." Marina snorted, then jumped off the bike and sat down in one of the plain chairs, crossing her arms and looking up at him stubbornly. "I'm waiting for you."

Zerrex sighed, rubbed at his head, then tried next: "Okay... Albatross, Huck, take my stuff back with the soldiers-"

"Fuck that!" Huck echoed, then he sat stoically down beside Marina and placed Blackheart across his lap, as Albatross made a face and winced, but quietly crossed his arms in defiance as the louder Dragokkaren added: "Dudes! You soldiers take the bike back, and report to Church that we're just making one last strike, because we've got the opportunity to take out a major player, but that Lord Zerrex is safe and sound and so's his daughter. Now, let's all-" He stopped and held up his hands as Zerrex gave him a smoldering look, shrinking meekly in his chair. "Okay, please don't hurt me, your rules."

"Good." The reptile muttered, then he shook his head. "Alright. I'll be back when I'm done... talking to Mengele. Don't wait all night for me, though."

"We'll wait as long as it takes." Marina said softly, and then she smiled up at her father, softening a bit as their eyes met. "You got lots to fight for Daddy. I'll be here when you come back, and then we can go get some well-deserved rest together at the base, huh?" A pause, and then she threw an arm around Huck's shoulders, who blanched. "I'll just talk with these two and keep them out of trouble."

"Thanks, Marina." Zerrex smiled slightly, then he exchanged a nod with Albatross, before heading back out of the room and into the main foyer, heading now towards the front desk, which was clustered with staff talking in headsets: upon seeing him, however, one young nurse quickly rushed over to assist him. "Pardon me, but I'm looking for Dr. Mengele Tstegi... do you know where I can find him?"

The Drakkaren expected an answer of no, or a stare, or something other than the nurse smiling and nodding, checking over a computer terminal before saying politely: "Lord Zerrex? He mentioned you to the staff, said to expect you and direct you to the eighteenth floor Private Research Facility." She paused and smiled embarrassedly. "And we're sorry for supporting both sides, too... but we have a duty to take care of everyone."

"I understand." Zerrex said softly, then he paused and glanced back at the elevator at the back of the foyer. "Do I need anything special to get there?"

"The eighteenth floor is currently unlocked for your ease of access." The nurse said kindly, then she glanced up and walked away as she began to chatter away on her headset. Zerrex watched her mildly for a few moments... then he smiled faintly and turned, heading instead to the elevator at the back and rubbing his bare chest slowly.

The Drakkaren hit the call button, waited a few minutes, then stepped into the car as it emptied, wincing as he saw people flooding forwards from the crowded lobby and rapidly tapping the close button before waving cheerfully from the vanishing gap in the doors at the snarling crowd. Then he tapped the button for the eighteenth floor, and silently ascended.

He paused and glanced up: the absence of bad music was strangely creepy, as the row of lights above ticked slowly along. After a few minutes, it came to a halt, and Zerrex stepped out into a small hallway. The Drakkaren frowned a bit as he glanced at the doors on either side... before settling his gaze on the slightly-ajar one at the end of the hall: any questions he might have had were settled in the next moment, however, as Mengele snapped irritably from what sounded like a good distance away: "What the hell are you waiting for? An invitation?"

"It's rude to barge in unannounced." Zerrex replied mildly, as he walked down to the end of the hall and pushed through the doorway into a cluttered office, frowning a bit as he glanced back and forth: three capsules on one side, Mengele sitting at a computer on the other, the strange half-wolf sitting with his moccasins tapping irritably against the floor and otherwise clad in clothes made of hides and dark furs.

The scientist looked at him coldly for a few moments, sizing him up... then he nodded slowly. "You've synchronized fairly well with Drake, it seems. Impressive... I've never seen a nephilim not cause a complete breakdown in any physical entity." He paused, then slid out of his chair and looked over Zerrex mildly again before turning to walk towards the capsules, putting his hands behind his back and looking into the green glow with the slightest of smiles. "But you're a tad bit different than your average person."

Zerrex merely looked at him quietly, before Mengele turned and crossed his arms, looking at the Drakkaren with interest, continuing to speak in a mild, easy voice: "Do you know what DNA is? It's made up of different genes, genetic information... and this genetic information is contained and bound together in... what I suppose you could call strands." He paused, then shrugged slowly. "Think of... a string. One string, however, is actually made of dozens of small strands, all wrapped together to form that one large string.

"Following this metaphor... your average lupine has roughly sixty-five strings tied together to make up one complete strand of genetic material, containing... almost infinite genetic knowledge. Instincts, memories, abilities, the blueprints of form, creation and life itself." Mengele stropped, then turned back to the smaller capsule, stroking the glass surface slowly and looking in at the body of the lupine inside, murmuring quietly: "And yet there's also this intangible, unidentifiable mass inside called the 'soul,' hidden either in these genetic strings or... somewhere still yet unknown to us, but inside the body, that has some other hidden knowledge in it. We live in a world where the soul is proven by sciences basic and advanced, but has been taken from being a religious experience to a basic bit of scientific knowledge, just like the mind or blood once was.

"But I digress. Back to the point: different species have different numbers of... string... making up their genetic code." Mengele paused, then turned and glanced at the other capsules, which contained the floating shapes of a reptilian species, likely Drakkaren. He looked at them with something like bitterness, as he said mildly: "Your so-called 'superior' species, the Drakkai... have a hundred and ten, and a hundred and fifteen strings respectively making up Drakkaren and Dragokkaren code. The extra five strings in the Dragokkaren, however, contain little to no extra genetic information... even the physical map of their form is just modified genes.

"From one viewpoint... yes, the species is superior. They have more genetic information at their disposal, but that doesn't necessarily make them truly better... it's what we do with what we have that determines our strength." Mengele said mildly, then he turned a cold grin on Zerrex. "I never would have believed it myself, but of all the people to prove this theory, it was your father that truly did it for me and restored my faith in my own race."

The Drakkaren frowned at this, tilting his head and asking slowly: "What are you talking about? What exactly do you mean by that... Narrius has never exactly been pelt-friendly, if you don't mind the expression."

Mengele snorted, but his smile did spread slightly wider. "Believe me. I've heard that and worse rather often working for the Patriarch." A pause, and then he turned fully towards the reptile and said calmly: "Narrius is a genetic anomaly, an engineered impossibility... he doesn't have 115 genetic cuts, but..." And then the wolf rose a single finger. "Only one."

Zerrex stared, feeling his blood run cold. "What? That's... that's not possible. I mean, he can't have just..."

"Yes, he shouldn't be intelligent... capable of reproduction... or even sentient." Mengele replied, and he made a disgusted face, glancing down at the floor for a moment. "And obviously he's all of those. Somehow... all of his genetic information is contained in that one slice, compressed and combined into one string of genes. It's something I never even dreamed of being possible." The wolf shook his head slowly, then he rose his white wolf eyes to meet Zerrex's. "And of course... then there's you."

"What, do I only have half the genes or something?" The Drakkaren asked mildly, trying to get his head around the strange knowledge he'd just been endowed with. Mengele, however, only grinned at him... and he asked in a sharper voice: "What is it, Mengele?"

"Don't get so antsy. I'm not going to keep anything from you." The half-wolf replied mildly, then he shrugged and smiled again as he held his arms out at his sides. "You're my favorite experiment, you know... and one of the few who seems to listen when I talk. But you... you possess twenty-thousand of these genetic strings. More than any other creature in existence; even our most-powerful, most complex engineered creations contain at most a thousand."

Zerrex stared at the half-wolf, who rose his hand and shrugged. "I don't understand it either. Can still barely believe it... and when you came to us, you had ninety percent of those genes used, and ten percent full of what we usually term as worthless DNA - batches of unused genes or useless information passed down from centuries ago, no longer pertinent to today's world or environment."

The Drakkaren looked down at his hands slowly, examining them as if he'd never seen them before, then he looked up and asked slowly: "And... you changed my code. You modified that last ten percent..."

Mengele looked almost surprised... then he laughed quietly and nodded. "That is correct. Just like a kite string can be untied, we removed certain strands of information... and replaced them with our own. The ability to shift sizes, for instance... whereas other cells we simply modified to remove inherent limiters or other such things as that I don't want to get into, because I'll start rambling again and you won't understand a word of it." The wolf finished dryly, and Zerrex half glared before muttering under his breath, since he knew it was true.

"But we have other business to attend to, anyway." The half-wolf paused, then brushed idly at the furred side of his face before pushing his way past Zerrex, making the Drakkaren stumble a bit in surprise as he watched Mengele shuffle around, knocking papers loose in every direction before finally grabbing up a strange-looking device with a tube on one end that fed into a strange, black cube. "You have a few extra souls in your body... which will eventually cause extra deterioration in your form and makes it less appealing to me to try and kill you while you're toting those around."

The Drakkaren snorted, then he grinned slightly, despite the fact he still felt a pang in his chest: he knew it would come down to this, to having to kill Mengele, as he watched him affix the device to what looked almost like a centrifuge with three large tubes that fed into the capsules... before he frowned and paused. "Wait, how did you know about these extra souls inside me? And what the hell are you doing?"

Mengele rolled his eyes as he finished screwing on the black cube, then he flicked the mouthpiece of the golden tube idly. A moment later, he straightened and turned around to look at Zerrex mildly, crossing his arms and giving the Drakkaren a look of distaste. "I suppose I said in the past, I wasn't going to help you any more... but I can't resist offering one final service to you." He paused and added mildly: "You killed that arrogant son of a bitch Alone, after all... and I think you deserve a small reward if you can crimp Narrius's plans enough by not only ruining his army and his prized Cradle of Life... but by killing his master geneticist.

"Quiet." The half-wolf held up a hand for silence as Zerrex's eyes widened a bit, before he could even say anything, and then Mengele gave a faint grin, his white eyes flickering like ghostly flares. "You're such a predictable creature, white-haired lizard. But the device I have here will transfer souls into these bodies... one is an arctic wolf's like myself, and the two here are called 'The Family,' and they are perfect Drakkaren..." He paused and shook his head slowly. "They're what we call 'dream bodies,' composed of a substance somewhat like the same energy that makes up Drake, or the goo of Black Requiem, who I'm sure you've also destroyed... except theirs will solidify after assimilating the specific body that corresponds best with the soul inserted into it."

Zerrex frowned a bit, but Mengele snorted and shrugged. "Think of it this way. The body and soul don't always mix well... for instance, look at me." Mengele waved at his own body with disgust. "When I first was reborn, I was horrified, and had to immediately begin attempts to reconstruct my old body." The half-wolf paused, then added mildly: "Just the same way with other people... say for instance... a transsexual, transvestite. Someone who is born of one gender but wishes to be the other... it's a failure of the soul and body to mix well. As it is with someone who feels they... say... should be thin, but are fat, although that too could obviously be from the disgusting laziness inherited by so many species with the advent of ugly mechanical things.

"These bodies have a set species and sex... but otherwise, they will reform their bodies to become the most physically-appealing to the soul, will become a reflection of the person's soul itself. They are also already predesigned with certain genetic codes, such as what we refer to as the immortality gene, which halts the aging process." Mengele stopped and looked at Zerrex's blank expression with irritation. "You're a learn-by-doing type more than anything else, yes, I know.

"What it comes down to is this. You can have your family back... Cherry, Cindy... and that repulsive little wolf Lone, if you want, as well." Mengele said distastefully, and Zerrex's eyes widened as he felt his body tense up slightly: there had to be a catch. And that catch came next as the wolf continued coldly: "But you'll have to give up their souls into these bodies... and wait for them to mature, shape, and adjust until their souls finally take control of these forms.

"And the last string is this: we're going to have ourselves a bit of a game upstairs in my territory... and if you win, you get to walk away with your family. But if I win... I'm not only going to manipulate the encoding in these bodies and wipe their souls clean as best I can to reform them to my pleasures... I'm going to complete the coding for Godsmite." Mengele jerked his thumb at the laptop sitting on the table, meeting Zerrex's eyes coldly, and the Drakkaren frowned as he gazed back, rolling his shoulders as the half-wolf added: "And I recently found out Narrius has been monitoring my work... so as it is, he has at least ninety-five percent of the required programming and coding to make the virus work. If you can stop me, however... and win our little game..."

"I get my family back, and stop Godsmite from being prepared." Zerrex said slowly, then he snorted quietly, emerald and ivory irises meeting as he asked coldly: "Why, Mengele? Why pit yourself against me like this? Or more, do this all for me?"

The half-wolf looked down, frowning a bit... before he glanced back up and said mildly: "Because you're my favorite experiment, and perhaps I just want to test myself against you. See exactly what the feared Lord Zerrex, the Boss, can actually do... experience that for myself." Mengele paused, then grinned outright and spread his arms. "My friend, it comes down to the things that've always driven me; pride and curiosity. I want to prove myself superior to you... and I'm interested to see just how fearsome you truly are."

Zerrex laughed quietly to himself, glancing down... then he looked back up with a grin in return, saying teasingly: "But you're not stupid enough to pit yourself against me with four souls inside of me, huh?"

"Oh, so you ate Cherubim's as well, after all. But I'm sure she and Cherry have mixed their energies together... bitch was always crawling all over her older sister." Mengele snorted with mild amusement, then he waggled a finger and answered: "A smart scientist takes risks where needed... but no one profits from unnecessary dangers. Who knows what kinds of abilities those have created and fueled in you." Then he stepped back and jerked a thumb at the golden tube, saying mildly: "You'll have to concentrate... but Drake should be able to assist you in the process of breathing out the souls into the energy sorter. From there, they'll be placed into the body."

He stopped, then he suddenly stepped in front of Zerrex and coughed, making a face: "Oh, I forgot. The Family are not male and female... they're female and hermaphrodite." Zerrex stared, and Mengele shrugged. "The Family was supposed to replicate themselves over the globe after the war was won... a Family of Drakkaren slaves to serve as soldiers and servants, and one family of perfect Dragokkaren that were supposed to be born from your daughter and Narrius's progeny to rule over everyone and everything. So these Adam and Eve models were designed to be able to reproduce as quickly as possible, which meant-"

"Self-impregnation for Adam." Zerrex made a bit of a face, then he slowly rubbed the back of his head before snorting. "Somehow I doubt Cherry will mind having a cock."

"You're so vulgar. And yet I can't disagree after having met her." Mengele replied mildly, making a face and stepping back as he crossed his arms with a snort. "I guess that's why it didn't seem as important to mention."

Zerrex nodded a bit, then he bowed his head forwards towards the small tube as he made a face and then settled his mouth over the golden tube. At the same, he felt Drake rising up through his body, flooding his mind and murmuring: This could hurt. A pause, a hesitation. Close your eyes. I'll wake up the other souls. It'll hurt, but...

It's okay... whispered a voice in his head, and Zerrex suddenly found himself standing in his mind, standing in a black room and facing four people: Cherry and Cynterra with their arms around each other, pressed side-to-side and smiling... Cindy looking at him with a bit of a blush... and Lone rubbing his head as he quietly adjusted the flower behind his ear. They all nodded silently to him... and Zerrex nodded back before reality faded back in, and he felt all manner of energies, colors, strange feelings flowing through him... before finally settling his mouth on the tube and blowing hard.

When he blew, it felt like something reached up out of the tube and grabbed his tongue, sucked all his breath away... before the Drakkaren grunted and let out a hiss of pain at the agony that rolled through him, grabbing the sides of the computer terminal as gold, white and red all flashed in front of his eyes, twisting and rolling as he felt the energies and souls of the others flowing down the pipe... before he finally grunted and slid backwards as darkness flashed in front of his eyes and Drake cut the flow off, the Drakkaren falling heavily back on his ass with a grunt.

He blinked and shook his head stupidly... then looked up at Mengele when the half-wolf looked down at him with mild entertainment. "That didn't take very long..." A pause as he glanced to the capsules, frowning as the green liquid inside began to bubble and long, mechanical arms with needle-ends extended forwards, piercing into the strange, semisolid bodies. "Strange. It's almost like they know what's going on."

"They probably do." Zerrex winced and brushed a hand through his locks, feeling his long white hair pulled on as he attempted to push himself up from the ground. Then he reached a hand up to grab the table, and Mengele caught it before helping him to his feet, the Drakkaren blinking and looking at him with a faint smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Mengele said mildly, then he turned and headed for a door at the back of the room, motioning for the reptile to follow. Zerrex did so, and winced as the door opened and a rush of cold air came out. The wolf smiled slightly over his shoulder at him, then laughed dryly: "It's about to get a lot worse, little lizard."

The Drakkaren nodded but stayed silent, and Mengele seemed to appreciate this for some odd reason, turning and heading up a set of stone stairs. Zerrex followed him, and then stared, his Drake-booted feet stepping through a doorway... and then an electronic shutter closed as a short alarm blared for a moment, a mechanical voice saying calmly: "Multiple life forms have been detected. The Low Temperature Research Facility will now remain in lockdown mode until only one life form is present inside the cold terrain simulator."

Zerrex looked around slowly... at the steely, icy walls and the large vents that were breathing frozen mist into the air, the snowy hills and the huge circular rink of ice that was splattered here and there with bits of snow, and surrounded by drifts that rested against walls of clear metal, behind which Zerrex could see empty viewing rooms. Then the Drakkaren looked towards the center of the room as he stepped out onto the huge, circular rink of uneven ice towards Mengele, who was tossing away his furred clothing as he said clearly: "We're in my territory now... and you're going to find why I still have the nickname Arctic Death." A pause as he stood before the reptile, male in design but without any visible genitalia that Zerrex could see, then the half-wolf smiled coldly as his reptilian half shuddered slowly.

Then fur sprouted up from the scales, covered them, and his head twitched to the side, bones and flesh shifting somehow as he grit his teeth, lowering his head as his muscles bulged against his fur and his scales turned white or receded into his body somehow. A moment later, he was left standing at ten feet tall, not as bulky as the Drakkaren but with obvious power in his body, and his white eyes opened; now he was a pure white lupine with shaggy, bristling fur and a thick, impressive mane of long, spiky same. He grinned darkly, then arched his back and howled, and Zerrex covered his face with his arms as the sound bounced around the room, hitting the curved walls and causing the ice beneath the feet of the two to snap, long cracks forming in the rink's surface.

Mengele readied himself with a grin, shouting in a deeper voice: "This is more like my old body, Lord Zerrex! Let's see how you stand up to the first test!" A pause, then the huge wolf suddenly threw himself to the side, landing on all four lithe limbs and shoving himself off the ground, leaping high into the air before diving straight down and shattering through the ice and into the water below.

Zerrex snarled, watching more cracks spiraling out from the hole in the rink and now unable to see Mengele beneath the thick ice: a moment later, however, the wolf's hand tore through the ice and attempted to snag his ankle, but Zerrex managed to leap back in time... before the wolf's whole body smashed upwards through the white rink, chunks of it flying in all directions as the wolf's white irises met Zerrex's with a grin, the lupine bringing both legs up as the reptile's own eyes widened before Mengele kicked him in the stomach with both paws, sending the reptile crashing down into the ice and skidding across the rink into a snowdrift, a puff of white powder bursting into the air.

The lizard quickly climbed up to his feet, snarling as he saw Mengele flip gracefully in midair before diving back underwater, and the reptile looked back and forth as he ran back out onto the rink, muttering under his breath: "I got too used to using Cherry's precog... goddammit, and I don't know-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, however, the ice beneath the reptile's feet cracked, and the Drakkaren stumbled, knocked off balance before a pair of powerful hands ripped through the broken ice, seized his ankles, and dragged him down into the freezing water. Zerrex barely managed a breath before he was thrown down and shoved to the bottom of the deep pool, Mengele's fists smashing into his stomach and causing him to expel his breath in a gust, his body spasming as he choked on water before the wolf seized him viciously around the neck and wrapped his arms around his waist, binding him under the water and at the same time attempting to snap his neck, as the reptile felt his head already getting light from air loss and his body too shocked by the sudden freezing cold to react.

Drake, however, came to his aid, the dark nephilim's fist suddenly forming out of Zerrex's back and slamming into the wolf's gut, dislodging Mengele in a burst of bubbles before it quickly withdrew. The wolf snarled and swam for the surface as Zerrex immediately did the same, clawing his way through the water before grabbing the edges of the ice and yanking himself free, panting raggedly before he stared as Mengele charged towards him and went into a slide.

This time, however, Zerrex ducked into the water, then reached up and seized the wolf's ankle before yanking the lupine down as he dived back into the icy fluid, feeling Drake's energy rolling through his body and keeping him warm even in the below-freezing liquid. The underside of the lupine's muzzle smacked against the solid surface of the rink, causing him to spasm and gag, before the reptile threw the wolf straight down through the water and followed up by diving down and pummeling the lupine with his fists, Mengele snarling and wincing, before he and the Drakkaren grappled under the water, hands locking together and bodies spinning through the dark depths of the deep pool.

The lupine managed to bring a knee up into Zerrex's stomach, causing him to grunt and wince, losing a bit of his air... but the Drakkaren replied with a headbutt against Mengele's sensitive nose, causing him to immediately withdraw in a mist of blood, covering his face as he kicked rapidly away through the water.

The Drakkaren, meanwhile, swam for the surface as he felt his muscles freezing, and then he hauled himself out of the water, panting hard and wincing as he felt ice almost forming over his body, his sopping hair hanging down and sticking to his back as Mengele climbed out of a hole a good distance away, panting raggedly himself. The two straightened... then Mengele snorted and grinned over at him, wincing and holding his side. "You and Drake certainly have bound together nicely... it's amazing." He rasped, then shook himself off a bit more before straightening and taking a few steps back, tilting his head forwards as his fur began to recede and dark green scales pushed out in their place, as he spread his arms and snarled: "But I've got a few tricks myself... call this my tribute out of respect for the so-called superior species."

Then he arched his back with a grunt, flexing bulging, powerful muscles, his height increasing to a powerful fifteen and some feet, his white eyes burning as his many surgical scars stood out in pure white against his naked, huge body that was bulging with power, black, block swastika tattoos coming into existence on either shoulder with a plain barcode beneath these reading '00001.' A moment later, and huge wings burst out of his back as he groaned and stumbled forwards... then straightened and held out his hands, wings flapping once as he held his arms out straight, palms facing towards the Drakkaren as the now-massive, now-Dragokkaren said coldly: "Not the same speed, but my physical power will more than rival yours, now. And these scales do provide an admirable natural armor."

"You don't have to tell me that." Zerrex replied with a snort, a cold grin surfacing on his features before he flexed a hand, feeling Drake's energy ebbing out of it and glancing down at the darkness that was crawling along it before looking up and adding darkly: "But do you have the same resistance as your other body?"

Then Mengele's eyes widened and the huge Dragokkaren leapt backwards, flapping its wings once... but his body was too heavy for flight, only boosting his airtime instead as Zerrex punched the ice and sent Drake's energy forwards, creating a long, deep crack down the surface that raced straight towards the giant. Mengele snarled, throwing himself to the side even as Zerrex ran straight fowards, a tail of darkness trailing out from his fist before the reptile snapped his hand outwards and splattered dark goo over the Dragokkaren's face before he had a chance to even prepare an attack.

Mengele Tstegi staggered backwards, snarling and wiping at his face with a roar of disgust and fury... and Zerrex took the chance to curve his run, sprinting past Mengele and twisting around to leap up on his back as he looked back and forth in surprise, then yelled and clawed at his back. Zerrex slid back and forth, evading the attacks of the giant before he slid down the middle of his back, then seized both wings near the bases and landed a hard kick into his lower spine, causing him to shriek in agony as he staggered forwards and both leathery wings were torn easily from his back.

Then the Drakkaren ducked as he tossed the two appendages aside, wincing at the spray of blood, before letting out a grunt of pain as one of Mengele's fists caught him under the jaw and sent him flying backwards, skidding along the ice before he rolled backwards and shoved himself off the rink with his hands and landing on his toes... but then sliding forwards to land on all fours as the Dragokkaren started towards him, snarling. Zerrex shook his head quickly, grunting and wincing to himself... then rolling to the side when Mengele attempted to step on him, before letting out a loud cry of agony, vomiting blood high into the air as the Dragokkaren smashed him in the stomach with his other fist, knocking him through the ice and deep into the water below.

Zerrex's body shivered violently beneath the water, twitching back and forth, choking and gagging... before he forced himself to flip over so he was upright under the water, then he snapped one hand upwards, firing a string of dark energy out of the water and hooking into the edge of one of the holes in the rink before using that to pull himself forwards and up from the water, bursting through the surface and rolling along the surface of the ice with a grunt.

Then he slid up to his feet, wincing and shaking his head slowly, before he looked across at Mengele, who was busy hauling his enormous body out of a large hole he'd made in the ice. The Dragokkaren snarled in pain as his body hit the air, however, rubbing at his legs slowly as he panted and looked across at the real reptile with disbelief. "How can you stand this... this hellish frost?"

"It takes growing up in the body." Zerrex responded mildly, rolling his shoulders and then raising his hands as he grinned a bit. "Plus I have the dark nephilim inside of me, remember... but come on, doc, don't fail me now. You've been holding up pretty good."

Mengele snorted... then fur once more sprouted from his form as he shifted back down to a wolf's body... except this time, with a bit of extra muscle, and the tattoos and scarring didn't vanish completely into the shaggy fur: instead, the fur itself turned black in places, showing both the tats and the webwork of scarring over his body.

The two faced each other... then Mengele grinned and suddenly rushed forwards, dropping to all fours and hurtling himself forwards with a snarl, before he leapt at Zerrex with a howl: the Drakkaren, however, dropped quickly onto his back and slammed both feet upwards, knocking himself down into the ice with enough force to crack it, but sending Mengele flying skywards with a shriek of agony, before the wolf plummeted back towards the surface of the rink: at the same time, Zerrex forced himself to half-roll backwards, getting his hands down against the broken surface of the rink as he hefted himself to a handstand and swung his legs forwards in a vicious bicycle kick that sent Mengele flying across the room with another loud shriek of agony.

He crashed into the clear metal wall at the edge of the rink with enough force to crack it, before falling limply into a snowdrift, sending up a thick plume of white dust. Zerrex, meanwhile, landed on his feet with a wince and watched the drift for any sign of movement... and a few moments later, the arctic wolf forced himself up and free, bleeding heavily from the mouth and a deep, boot-shaped gouge in his abdomen. He struggled to breath, holding his own intestines into his body as he staggered forwards towards Zerrex... and then he grinned one last time as his fur peeled away from one side of his flesh, revealing the scales beneath as he murmured raggedly: "I see now... that it's not the outside shell... damn, how could I have been so fucking... stupid..." A pause, and then he slumped as he stepped back onto the rink, looking across at Zerrex with his white eyes slowly glazing... then he arched his back and released a long, mournful howl that caused the water to ripple and the clear metal walls to vibrate, Zerrex rocking back and forth as the ice beneath him shifted and cracked, as if an earthquake had struck the area.

The Drakkaren covered his face with his arms, snarling... and then Mengele fell to his knees and then fell forwards on his face, a pool of blood steadily beginning to spread around him as his fur turned black and flaked off in places... and then the ice shifted again, and a long crack formed in the rink before he was swallowed up as the frozen surface of the water shifted and he was pulled down into the depths of the pool below, through the shattered ice.

The ice ceased to move... and Zerrex slowly stepped backwards as the water and ice turned from white and clear to crimson. The Drakkaren looked down at this... then he grunted as the rink's surface cracked again and shifted, the air suddenly turning from frosty cold to warm. Steam rapidly began to rise from the blood-colored water and ice... and the lizard winced before spinning around and charging towards the small metal walkway that led into the rink as the ice began to turn to slush and shatter under his feet.

A moment after he stepped onto the metal surface of the walk, the rink shattered, geysers of red water blasting into the air with chunks of ice, a roar filling the air as the white snow flew like a blizzard inside a madly-shaken snow globe. The lizard stared at this show, watching the flurry of white powder and the sprays of crimson blood filling the air before it finally settled, leaving only waves of red water swaying back and forth as Zerrex rubbed sweat from his brow... and a moment later, a mechanical voice said: "Irreversible damage detected to research facility's cold terrain simulator. All other life forms detected terminated. Cancelling lockdown and unlocking cold terrain laboratory door."

The Drakkaren glanced over his shoulder to at the sound of several loud clicking noises, watching as the metal shutter trembled, then rolled upwards into the ceiling. He turned towards it... then took one last look over his shoulder at the settling pandemonium behind him before forcing his eyes back forwards and walking out of the room as he rubbed slowly at the tattoo of the swastika on his arm.

He walked slowly down the steps to the office, then quietly pushed through the steel door at the bottom and closed it behind himself, sighing and relaxing a bit in the warm area; it was a good middle point between the two extremes the room above had snapped between. He closed his eyes, resting back against the still-cold door for a few moments... then looked up quietly and gazed at the capsules, murmuring softly: "I don't even know how to use those..."

Check for notes, I guess. Drake advised, then paused as he recognized this was easier said than done, muttering: Or not. Try his computer?

"Most of these notes are handwritten, though." Zerrex ducked to pick up a stack of papers on the floor, looking at them thoughtfully and murmuring under his breath: "These look like research findings on the Empty Ones... did Hellabos create things-"

Without understanding what he was making? How else do you think every great thing has come into existence today? Drake asked, and his tone would be patronizing if he didn't sound honestly surprised as well. Just because we know this so-called energy called 'the soul' runs through the body and exists... doesn't mean we understand what it really is. I feed off dark energy released into the atmosphere, but that's so many fancy catchphrases just linked together... I don't know how I work, how I feed off emotions, or violence, or how I can suck the life-force out of something without leaving a mark but aging it or dissimilating it. Just like you don't know... where you came from, what you really are. A product of gods, evolution, or an evolution-created god or a god-created evolution?

"You're making me go cross-eyed." Zerrex mumbled, grabbing his head and straightening, then ignoring Drake's usual vulgar comebacks as he walked deeper into the office and searched idly through the papers on the table, before finally sighing and approaching the laptop.

It only took the Drakkaren a few moments of browsing to realize with distaste that this was definitely not what he wanted, however: the current open file showed a replicating set of genes moving in a slow hourglass swirl, and beside it were calculations that were completely unfathomable to the reptile. He stared dumbly at this for a few moments, then hit a few keys to see what would happen, and winced as he watched the entire chain fall apart and be replaced with the word 'ERROR' in bright red.

He coughed, then closed the program and glanced quickly through the neatly-labeled files on the computer, tapping through them quickly... but they all seemed to be complicated mathematical formulas. The lizard figured that Mengele must do his actual designing on the computer to save time if he made a mistake or had to replace a set of genetic data... and then he could simply send it out electronically to all his colleagues as well.

Zerrex turned back towards the capsule with a sigh, and approached the computer in front of it. The Drakkaren looked at this dumbly, since it seemed to be awaiting some sort of command process - even though mechanical arms inside the capsule were already working busily, and the grey clay-bodies were... shifting and moving erratically, almost strangely - before he entered dumbly into the window the only word he could think of: 'help.'

The computer immediately spat out dozens of command strings of no real use to the Drakkaren... then the screen flickered and went dark, making Zerrex wince and step quickly backwards, technophobia getting the best of him as he wondered just what the hell he'd done wrong. A moment later, however, the terminal flickered back on... except this time, the screen was different, displaying an electrocardiogram of all three 'subjects' in the tube.

"Beginning memory replay." said a cold, metallic voice, and Zerrex glanced around the room, blinking. A moment later, however, the flat monitor flickered again, then displayed another set of vital signs as the voice continued in its dissociated tone: "During physical formation, the bodies of the subjects must not be disturbed. Excess interaction will cause permanent genetic malformation; please use all care possible when moving capsules to and from research facilities by ensuring they are carefully transported through use of magnetic lift. Formation of subjects will require..." a pause as it calculated, then it spoke again almost boldly, as if proud of itself, but pausing ridiculously between every word or so. "Seven. To Ten. Days.

"Afterwards, mental processes will begin to take root. This will require... One. To Ten. Days. Estimation is that total elapsed time for formation of beings will require... Eighteen. Days. Please note, however, the capsules will be automatically drained when the imbuing process is complete, and subjects may awaken immediately. No warning is set to be given at ninety-nine percent completion ratio. Note that mental process creation can be interrupted and halted at any time. That is all." Then the voice shut down with an audible hum, and Zerrex made a face as he looked at the capsules again, feeling a strange tremble roll through his body.

Twenty days at the most... and right now he was confident he could end the war in that time, bring his loved ones back to a world that was peaceful... and that made him smile. He nodded slowly, giving a faint laugh as he rubbed his hair back from his face, before murmuring: "Where's this magnetic lift thing, then?"

"Transportation request acknowledged." spoke the mechanical voice, making Zerrex jump... before he stared as the computer terminal sank into floor and the capsules came down with it, before settling down. A moment later, a metal sheet slid across the ground... before the capsule slowly began to roll down the wall to lay lengthwise-down along the floor, and Zerrex realized that the capsules themselves were built into long, wheeled trolleys, with short handles that extended up from the base of the capsule that would allow him to move them easily. A pause, and he made a face as he realized how difficult it would be to maneuver these oversized capsule around, as he grasped the handle...before blinking in surprise as he moved it a few inches. It was lighter than air... and he paused for a moment before attempting to stand it back up on its base, and found he could do so without any strain whatsoever.

He shrugged a bit, guessing it was where the magnetic part came in or something... and then paused as he glanced down at a small, square screen built into the base of the capsule. It showed the current process that was going on in code... a percentage ratio he guessed was completion rate... and a glowing bar beneath this labeled 'Stability.' Currently, it was yellowish... but as he watched, it turned green once more, and the reptile winced as he looked up at the Drakkaren form in the capsule, murmuring quietly: "My mistake. Sorry there..." A glance between her legs, and a cough as he realized it wasn't just a her after all. "Cherry."

The reptile straightened a bit, grasping a small handle at the side of the capsule and wheeling it forwards towards the door: he figured that if the bar went into the red zone, it would probably mean that the genetic information was damaged... and the reptile made a face before sighing a bit and carefully slipping around the side of the capsule to pull the door open, then wheeling the tall capsule through. A pause, then he glanced down and murmured to Drake: "You got any tricks up your sleeve?"

Just don't drop the frigging capsule. Drake muttered, and Zerrex rolled his eyes; the dark nephilim, as always, chose the worst times to be a bitch. The Drakkaren sighed at this, then carefully wheeled the capsule down the narrow hall towards the elevator... gently put it down on its back... and then hit the call button, glancing back and forth idly.

When the elevator doors opened, however, there was a single occupant: a small, grinning Drakkaren kid, who was wearing baggy clothes, a rumpled sweater too big for him, and a fake officer's cap backwards on his head. He bounced back and forth in sandals as he looked up at Zerrex, then stared at the capsule and immediately ran over to it, beginning to stroke the glass and tap on it as he said happily: "Ooh, mister! That's a really neat thing, a really really neat thing you got there! What's it do, huh, huh?"

Zerrex stared in horror as the kid put his palms against the glass, staring into the depths of the capsule, and the much larger reptile immediately snapped: "Get your face off there, punk!"

The kid glared at him but stepped back, jutting his chin out and crossing his arms as he looked at him aggressively, and Zerrex quickly rolled the capsule into the elevator... before making a face as he realized he'd only be able to move one at a time, as he slipped in beside it. Immediately, however, the kid sprang in next to him... and Zerrex sighed, asking irritably: "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Nope!" The kid snorted, looking immediately up at one corner of the elevator sulkily. "This hospital sucks balls. So I'm riding the elevator up and down... this is my elevator!" he said firmly, and then yelped when Zerrex easily shoved him out into the hall.

"Well, I'm using it so... run along and play." This earned a disgusted, angry glare... and then Zerrex realized that the kid would have access to the other capsules and could mess them up, so he muttered and sighed, catching the doors as they closed as the kid continued to look at him with distaste. "Fine, whatever you want, kid. Get in."

"No!" the Dragokkaren spat immediately, then spun around and ran down the corridor, yelling at the top of his lungs as he headed for the door at the end of the hall. Zerrex immediately paled and leapt after him... then cursed loudly and turned as the elevator doors began to close, automatically snapping an arm up.

Drake's dark essence snapped out of his hand in a whip, then part of it formed a thick block that held the doors open as the dark nephilim took over, the end past the block inside the elevator becoming a thick tendril that twisted its way around and pulled the small, emergency stop switch. Immediately, buzzers went off, and the elevator door slid all the way open, Zerrex turning with a wince and springing after the kid as he shoved the door open and said loudly: "Cool!"

The larger lizard pounded down the hallway, Drake shouting at him irritably as the dark energy behind him fell to the floor and melted into goo, the reptile not wanting to wait for it to curl itself back into his body... and then the kid turned with a devilish grin and slammed the door shut. Zerrex let out a yell, then slammed face-first into it before falling backwards, groaning and rubbing at his aching skull, running his hands through his hair as the Dragokkaren reopened the door and asked cheerfully: "You wanna come in, mister big and hairy?"

Then the kid squeaked when Zerrex snapped out an arm and hefted him into the air, glaring down at him as he stood and the child flailed uselessly. "Look kid, you're old enough to know not to act like a frigging jerk. Now are you going to stay quiet, or am I going to have to tape you to the ceiling and lock you in one of these rooms here?" Zerrex jerked his head to the side, and the Drakkaren grabbed his wrist, kicking uselessly at his chest and not quite making it.

"Shut up!" he hollered in return to Zerrex's threats, then grinned again and said angrily: "I'm the son of the hospital administrator, you can't tell me what to do!"

"Watch me." Zerrex said darkly, and the flash of his emerald eyes seemed to finally get it through the child that he wasn't dealing with any of the hospital staff, who he apparently could push around and terrorize without fear of retribution. Then the larger lizard carried him over to the nearest door, shoved it open, and glanced around at the pile of dusty boxes and papers, figuring it was a store room.

"Sit here for a while." Zerrex held the kid over a pile of taped boxes and dropped him on them, making him grunt and stare before the Drakkaren withdrew and closed the door. Then he slammed an elbow into the frame, warping it, before he checked to make sure it was solidly closed and grinned when he felt it not budge a bit, even when he leaned on it.

The kid, meanwhile, was pounding loudly on the doorway, shouting to be let out, then screaming something about how there were monsters in there with him... and Zerrex winced as he thought of Mengele's creations. Before he fell for it, however, he asked clearly through the door: "Yeah, what kind of monsters?"

The kid stopped yelling, apparently to think, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before leaving, deciding he didn't care if someone did eat the stupid child. He approached the elevator, stepping through dissolved muck, and Drake muttered: If you do that too often or I get ripped to shreds too much... you do realize that I'll weaken and in turn, you will too...

"As long as we're symbiotically attached, huh? Great." Zerrex made a face as he stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the emergency stop, then the one for the ground floor. He sighed and relaxed a bit against the wall, closing his eyes as the elevator slowly descended... and smiled a bit when, unsurprisingly, the ride was straight and smooth, despite how crowded the hospital had seemed.

Then Zerrex pushed his precious cargo out into the main lobby, attracting the stares of security and doctors alike - both too afraid to pester him - and he made his way down to the ER wing. A pause, and a bright grin to one of the security guards at the main doors, and immediately the large Dragokkaren and his partner ran over to hold the glass double doors open for him, Zerrex giving a serene 'thank you,' before pushing his way into the smaller ER room.

Marina, Huck and Albatross all stared... and then Marina broke into a grin, whispering: "Is that what I think it is, Daddy?"

"Shush. Don't spoil the surprise." Zerrex said softly, and then Marina leapt up and ran over to him, tackle hugging him and almost fainting in his arms as she laughed quietly, closing her eyes and pushing against his chest, her legs trembling under her as the male looked down at her lovingly, then quietly slipped his arms beneath her, glancing up at Huck and Albatross. "There's two more capsules like this upstairs, eighteenth floor. The far right elevator in the main lobby is pretty much empty... if it isn't, I'm sure you two can make it that way. They're easy to move, but they have to be transported with extreme care, otherwise the genetic material inside will be damaged." He paused at their looks, then said softly: "It's a parting gift from Mengele. He's no longer a threat." Then the Drakkaren glanced down, before looking back up and forcing himself to say the words he didn't want to: "I killed him.

"And oh. There was a laptop with genetic information on it... I couldn't decipher it, but I don't know if we should bring it back to base or not..." Zerrex frowned a bit, shaking his head slowly, then he glanced self-conscious around the room, which was filled with staring and murmuring patients: people who had likely been transported here through some... secret, illicit means to get emergency treatment for being in the wrong spot when the soldiers opened fire. "I'll tell you more there."

"Got it, Boss." Huck saluted him, grinning widely. "We'll meet you in the back then. Damn, this is a good news day." He laughed, shaking his head slowly, then whistling to the nurse sitting and staring at the desk. "Hey, hot stuff, mind openin' the door for the big guy here and his daughter?"

She shook her head quickly, stuttering a quick no, then ran around from her post to push the large pneumatic door open: Zerrex easily shifted Marina to one arm, using the other to carefully guide the green capsule through and down to the back room, where he'd remembered first meeting the various doctors of the hospital. This time, however, the break room was empty... and the reptile glanced around as he hit the call button for the large-size elevator, glad that they'd be able to at least fit all the capsules in here before pushing the first in and to the side, after carefully placing Marina in one of the chairs.

She still looked a bit woozy and dazed... but she recovered faster this time then he'd remembered earlier, blushing quietly and murmuring: "Sorry, Daddy. I just got carried away when I realized..." A glance down. "Gods... I'd never thought I'd see Mommy or Cherry again... or even Mr. Wulfe..."

"It'll be something." Zerrex said softly, wondering absently at the same time exactly how much access she had to his brain... and Marina glanced up at him with a bit of an embarrassed blush, and he rubbed his head lamely, murmuring: "Sorry."

"No, no. It's my fault, I'm the one who should be apologizing." Marina said softly, rubbing at the back of her head quietly. "One of the reasons Narrius always kept me in the collar was because I find it so easy to listen in to people... I tend to... do it automatically when I look at someone." She smiled faintly. "Sometimes it almost gets a little bit overwhelming, you know? But... I like it, too, I love being... feeling... special." She stopped, and added quietly: "Like your daughter... like I can do something good, something... even great for you..."

Zerrex looked at her softly, wanting to ask why she was so dedicated when he felt... he'd let her and the rest of the family down... and Marina's sharp glance upwards caught him off-guard yet again, as she said softly but firmly: "Don't ever feel like that Daddy... ever... you had no idea that Narrius was alive... no reason, even, to believe that Hellabos had cloned him back to life. Even I couldn't predict that; someone halfway across the world who had plans revolving around... me... for world domination." She shook her head slowly and murmured quietly: "It's unfathomable that this has all happened... and in such a short period of time.

"So don't blame yourself." She closed her eyes and bowed her head forwards, resting back against the table and smiling faintly as she added: "And I worship the ground you walk on, Daddy... because it doesn't take me more than a look into your eyes, and I can see into the battles you've had to face, and everything you've done... all while hating yourself. While not wanting to live, while... Daddy, I'm sorry." She whispered, as Zerrex turned away and closed his eyes. A pause, and she added in a trembling voice: "It's not weak... you aren't. You never will be."

"It's hard to believe that..." Zerrex murmured softly, looking down at his hands quietly as he turned them back and forth... before glancing up and turning around, giving a faint smile. "So faking anything ain't gonna work with you, huh?"

Marina laughed softly at this, shaking her head slowly. "No, I'm afraid it won't, Daddy." She softened a bit, then slowly stood, and Zerrex walked over to her, before smiling a bit as she gently touched his face. "You'll feel better when we get back to the rebel base. I promise."

"Alright." Zerrex nodded, then hugged her tightly, and she returned the embrace, pushing her head against him quietly. A few minutes later, as the two sat together, Huck came in with the first capsule, looking disgusted. The two stared at him as he bad-temperedly - but carefully, there was that at least - wheeled the capsule into the open elevator beside the other one, then he turned and settled a death glare on Zerrex.

"Why the hell didn't you warn us about that little freaking goblin?" he asked angrily, then threw his arms out as he began to storm back and forth around the room, not waiting for an answer but instead going into a tirade. "See, me and Albossatross are all, great great, this'll be easy shit, yeah, yeah, not knowing about the little bastard a certain someone trapped in the fuckin' file storage room. So we get up there, and the elevator goes ding, and I guess the fucker heard the ding 'cause... 'cause he starts freaking screaming! Fucknuts but I almost leapt into Albatross's arms!

"God's balls, but hell, the little fucker won't stop, yelling there's big purple monsters or some shit in there with him, and I'm goin', what the fuck, and Albatross is all, fuck that, we got a job to do, and I'm like, fuck you! I'm not gonna let some little kid get eaten by something. So I force the door open, and this bastard kid runs out and bites me in the fucking crotch!"

Huck stopped to glare, thrusting his groin out and pointing with both hands at his offended area, and Zerrex burst into laughter, almost falling off the chair, as Marina simply continued to look stunned. Both of these sentiments apparently offended Huck, however, as he shouted and waved his fists angrily: "Hey, my virility is now, like, fucked to shit! What if I wanted kids one day? Or is it because I'm gay, you homophobic shit? Like, fuck, that part is important to me! I used my dick a lot, you know... and hell, I don't think my barracks are going to ever produce any more little soldiers, either... and that's a bad thing, 'cause you know, some dudes are really into facials and feeling their partner send out the troops, if you get what I mean, and like-"

"Huck, shut up." Albatross said mildly, pushing the last, small capsule into the room, and the other Dragokkaren looked offended as the one-eyed reptile added: "I think you're going to cause Lord Zerrex to laugh himself into a hernia."

Zerrex was still busy cackling on the ground, but after a few moments he managed to crawl to his feet, wiping at his eyes and grinning stupidly at Huck. "You're awesome." Then he paused and turned to Albatross as Huck cursed under his breath and muttered something. "So how did you deal with that little bastard?"

"After he took a chunk out of Huck, Huck kicked him across the room. He's still knocked out." Albatross said mildly, then he glanced at the other Dragokkaren. "He's upset because he mentioned something about wanting me to kiss his wound better, and I told him not to sexually assault his commanding officers, especially while on duty."

"I'm gonna frickin' stab you later, douchebag." Huck said, looking at Albatross distastefully, then he sighed and stomped over to the elevator as Zerrex gently slid his arm around Marina, aiding her as she rested against him and they followed as well, the Dragokkaren looking miserable. "It's going to be a long walk back to base, isn't it?"

The road back really wasn't nearly as bad as Huck predicted, however: by daybreak, they'd made the facility, their spirits still elevated from the more-than-successful missions as Zerrex explained what exactly was in the capsules... which caused Huck to stop attempting to ride or run with the one he was pushing. During the latter half of the walk, however, as they moved along in a comfortable silence, Marina leaned up and murmured softly: "I can feel their minds working... I can feel their souls discovering what they want their bodies to be. It's a long, hard road." She stopped, then whispered: "Let's sit with the capsules for a while after we get back to the base."

Zerrex looked at her strangely, but then nodded slowly... and after they'd found themselves back in the base, Albatross and Huck had gladly covered for him, saying they'd explain everything to Churchill, and that Zerrex could be debriefed later tonight, after he'd taken care of the rest of his business. The Drakkaren had nodded, and then been left alone with his daughter in his quarters... and the three glowing capsules that were in the other room that was meant more for soldiers than genetics experiments. He and Marina now sat there... looking at the capsules... and then Marina smiled faintly and traded a look with Zerrex.