Netherhiem 03
It was now Monday.
The child care centre was almost deserted, except for the three friends employed there.
Jeffery sat in his office, crying softly with tears flowing freely from his face, it took almost all his will power not to sob or make a sound.
Alex sat at one of the swings in a makeshift playground they had behind the main building, looking deep in thought, gazing at the few kids remaining now in their care playing around, her heart void of all emotions for some reason.
Stewart was in one of the rooms staring lovingly at a picture of a girl, his little doll, his majestic angel, and she will be his forever now, no more hiding in the guise of being a friend of the family, no more lies, he just has to wait a while longer.
Just then, two pairs of feet appeared at the main gates: one was of an elderly badger man, with thick rimmed glasses and a cross pendant, beside him was a middle aged coyote man, also with a cross pendant on his neck.
Both wore robes, that belonged to one of the local churches.
The White Aurora organization.
What makes them better than the Alliance who only operate within the boundries of the city, is that they are a worldwide organization, having one branch in every country, each branch with a leader of it's own, like Hydrus who is the leader of the Fenrir branch in Atlus.
The building was wide, looking almost like a big college building, even fitted with a dorm for those new budding heroes who were too far away from home, or those who didn't have one at all, and a big backyard, fitted with a court for sports and a park for rest & relaxation.
Hydrus was sitting in his wide office, his desk being wide to allow many things to lay on it without the fear of falling off. However, his desk was empty for some reason today, usually it was filled with papers he had to sign and applications of potential employees he had to look at, usually resulting to him returning home late.
He laid back in his chair with a wide smile on his face, although his coat's neck scruff was a little high that it covered the lower part on his face. But he still had that happy blissful look in his eyes, results of the work free day.
*knock knock*
"Come in"
A slim wolf with glasses and a suit came into view, "Sir, I just came to tell you that police chief Sanders had found the lost kid and brought him to custody, and proceeded to inform the parents"
A chocking sound came from Hydrus' place, "What!?" His secretary looked at him with a raised brow, "I-I mean awesome, that's....really...good news, I'm really happy for the bas- happy duo" Throughout his little reply, his left eye twitching.
The wolf regarded his computer pad, looking through the schedule of his boss, "You also have an appointment, an interview with the parents...." He tilted his glasses slightly, "..a cat and fox couple, the Richardsons, regarding their son awakening to his powers"
"Okay, anything else?" his body now twitching slightly
"Nope that's all for today, then you can go"
"Cool, now can you fetch me something to drink?"
His secretary just nodded with a knowing smile on his face, and left.
As soon as he closed the door, "ugh...gah.. oh...ooh..oooohh" and his head almost slammed on the desk, breathing hard.
He regained his breath lifting his head, "You have quite the oral skills there buddy" A pair of long black and white-spotted ears emerged from below the desk.
The owner of such ears was a slim toned white black-spotted rabbit, he was slightly shorter than Hydrus, barely a few inches, his body wasn't big or buff, but still showed that he went to the gym often, small but firm pecs, abs and muscles were a small turn on for the disguised demon. He was shirtless under the desk, a neck chain with a miniature spiked collar attached to it, and two industrial piercings one for each ear, and a pair of blue jeans, his 6 inch cock out, dripping and spent.
He stood up wiping his cum soaked muzzle with the back of his hands, and lapping any remains, "Thank you hot stuff, wish we had time for a 'practical' " he turned around presenting his still clothed ass to his boss.
Hydrus ran a his hands on the cute bunny butt in his face, giving it a light smack, "Yeah a real shame, would have loved to spank you a little you punk" he was firm and strict in his words, but no one could miss the sarcasm.
The rabbit wiggle his ass at him, "All yours whenever you want it, daddy"
"Thanks but not today" the rabbit nodded, and picked up his white tank top from below the desk, brushing his tail to the boss' spent 10 incher, before leaving, never even bothering to wear his tank.
After making himself decent, he picked his phone and typed a message, just as his intercom called, "sir, your first appointment is here"
He called back "send them in"
At the police station.
Sanders' phone rang indicating a message.
He opened his phone and read the message, 'we're going to have a loooong chat'
He regarded the message with a slight fear, just as he was called to meet the desperate parents.
He went out of his office and saw the couple holding their boy tightly, with the kid showing no interest of returning the affection.
Jeffery looked up at the chief, "Thank you, thank you so much"
He replied with a professional smile, "No problem sir, we are here to help" he knelt to the boy, "now no running away from home now, okay?" the boy just looked away from him.
The happy couple and child left the station, just as Sanders' phone beeped an alarm, indicating his shift's end.
At a small house in the suburbs.
Stewart arrived home, taking of his shoes and locking the door, "I'm home"
"Uncle Stew" a small voice called back, as a dress wearing wolf ran up to him, tackling him in a tight hug.
"Hey there sweet heart, how was my little angel today?"
"It was good"
He looked at his little angel with love, 'just a little more, soon we'll be together forever'
"You know?" he looked at the child, showing a hint of lust in his eyes, "Daddy had a long day, and needs help relaxing" he undid his tie slowly, "will you help daddy relax?"
The child just smiled and unlatched her dress from behind letting it drop to the floor, revealing a slim cute body, a pair of pink and white stripped panties, and a small bulge showing at the front of said panties, "Anything for you...daddy Stew"
Hydrus just arrived back home.
As soon as he closed the door, "my big Chupacabra!!"
He looked straight ahead to see a grey furred and brown eyed vampire bat wearing a pair of jeans and a blue tank top, "Ray!!"
He ran to him and held the bat in a tight embrace, before giving him a deep, hot. passionate kiss, "I...missed....you" he managed to stated in-between their kiss.
The broke the kiss both panting hard, as Raymond laid his head on his big husband's firm chest. Raymond had that small muscle build to him that Hydrus loved, accompanied by that big cute nose and those large ears, Hydrus loved the winged mammal at first glance.
"How is your family? your oldest brother still giving you a hard time for marrying a guy, and a demon to boot?"
Ray just smiled, and replied with a hint of Mexican accent, "Yes, he's still an asshole, but the rest of the family were glad that I started visiting often, madre says you are a good influence, and I admit: I never even called or texted them much in the past, let alone visited"
Hydrus was happy for that, Netherbeasts and especially the Ferals, valued family more than anything. He was glad some of the family appreciation had rubbed on his husband.
"Everyone is in the living room, want to go and sit with them?"
Hydrus looked at his husband with infinite love, "No, I'll join you guys later, I just need some time alone in the garden"
"Okay then" Raymond pecked his nose before running off to join the others.
At the living room, everyone were watching a match of War Sports, one that will decide the finalists for the season. War Sports was a various range of no-holds-barred sports, that had more blood and death in it than the World Wars.
Oh, and it's a Netherbeastian sport, but with teams consisting of prisoners collected throughout the years, giving them a chance of freedom and returning to their worlds, that was the reward for the winners, and the losers aren't killed, but simply given a chance to compete next season, the killing is inside the field itself.
The match was between One-Eyes: a group of orcs, ogres and cyclopses VS the all-time favorites the Howlers: a team of warrior lycans/werewolves and wolf-men that for some reason even though won a few times, refuse to return back home and wishing for a chance to compete the next season.
All the family were there to cheer for the Howlers, the excitement and adrenaline flowing and steaming into the very air.
On the screen, a big werewolf held a ball in his mouth running towards the goal, right before an orc wearing a big metal gauntlet slammed into him destroying his ribs and smashing half of his face.
"OOOOH, so close" Victor exclaimed, wincing at the sudden brutality.
Raymond simply smiled at his family's antiques and sat beside Lex, and joined them in cheering.
The house's backyard had a pool, behind it was a small garden of different flowers. But that was not the garden he mentioned.
A thin pathway ran away from the pool, leading to a big dome a few meters away from the pool.
He entered his personally hand built botanical garden.
It was like a small private park, with a wide variety of flowers and plants, some from different dimensions and worlds, even carnivorous plants, his personal favorites.
A small picnic table lay in the middle of the place, allowing him to look at his collection of flora.
He sat at one of four chairs their and closed his eyes, letting his senses guide him through his own piece of paradise.
An intercom laying on the table called out, "Sir, chief Sanders is here to see you"
Without even opening his eyes, he called back through the intercom, "Send him to the Garden"
He remained still and peaceful in the Garden, his little paradise had that pacifying effect on him.
A few minutes later, the chief entered the garden and went straight in-front of Hydrus, "You called for me....sir?"
"Yes I did, sit down please" Sanders grabbed a chair facing him.
His voice was dangoursly calm, "I thought my orders were clear, I thought you wouldn't disappoint me, but you did"
"I'm sorry sir. But it wasn't right, the kid has to be with his parents, they were devastated" he smiled lightly, "You should have seen them when we brough-"
*WHACK*
He fell from his chair to the ground, his head slightly bloodied.
He managed to look up despite his daze, to find Nobu, the Egyptian jackal, standing over him with a look of disgust in his eyes.
Hydrus was the one to speak, "I don't give a shit about their happiness, idea was to have them live in despair for their lost child, they messed with my family and dared to try and separate us"
He stood up from his place, "Nobu, I think you junior slave needs to be....re-educated"
And Sanders fell unconscious.
The german shepard police chief woke up.
And found himself in his master's 'playroom'.
He was on his knees, with his wrists in chains, hanging from the top corners of the walls, forcing him to spread his arms, and display his front and back body.
He stayed there in eerie silence, naked and vulnerable.
The door ominously creaked, revealing his master and Jack the demon jester, pushing a table full of some equipment, but he couldn't see from his position.
Disappointment was clear on Hydrus' face, "I didn't like for it to come to this, but a disobedient pet needs to be disciplined. He signaled for the fox clown to start, with evil glee and a fit of chuckles and giggles, grabbed a iron whip and went behind the vulnerable canine.
*SLASH* 'AAAAAAHHHHH'
*SLASH*
*SLASH*
And the whip kept slashing his back, with Jack laughing maniacally.
After a few minutes of constant whipping, Jack began panting hard, his tongue lolling out of his muzzle, his strikes weakening in strength and sharpness.
"Enough" Hydrus commanded as Jack slumped on his butt.
Hydrus still could feel the defiance in the chief. So he went for a phallic shaped metal, with some soft spikes protruding from its sides.
He went behind the canine and inserted it roughly, causing some blood to bleed through. After making sure it was secured with no chance of slipping out, he twisted the bottom, activating it. It was some kind of metal vibrator. The chief was moaning loudly the vibrator reaching to his prostate.
But then he began wincing loudly, breathing through his teeth, then screaming at the top of his voice.
'AAAAHHH....GAH.....GGGAAAAAAHHHH'
A volcanic burning sensation was coming from his ass, more precisely from the iron dildo, "Like it, I designed it myself, as it rubs your insides, the fleshy friction starts to emit a high amount of heat, giving you that burning sensation, causing the ultimate discomfort" His master explained with a sadistic grin on his face.
He remained screaming now and struggling to break from the chains. Jack got his energy back and was rubbing his rising erection through his baggy pants, clearly enjoying the torture show he was given front seats for. He got up behind the poor chief.
*SLAM*
Only to kick the dildo deeper, crushing Sanders' prostrate with the hot rod, causing the man to cum hard, his jizz going far, even hitting Hydrus' clothes.
"Good to see that you're enjoying yourself chief, because you will be like that for a while"
He ordered Jack to get a harness of sorts, and tied it from below his sheath blocking his knot, and strap it on the back, keeping the dildo deep in his hole.
"I shall see you in a few days, say.....in a week?" he left with Jack behind him, leaving the chief alone to his punishment.
It was night time.
Most his family were asleep, with only Wataru in the lounge, "Where is everybody?"
Wataru looked at him, "Asleep, and Jim was called back to the hospital for an emergency" Jim was a surgeon in the local hospital, and he was the one of the researches who were able to create a serum that allowed males to have children- with Hydrus' help of course.
And that's how Caleb was born. Jim tested the final prototype on himself, and his little baby was the result.
Jim and Hydrus are Caleb's biological parents.
"Okay, I'm going out for a while, will probably be back in a few days"
He got a black coat from the coat rack at the door and went out, shortly followed by Alucard and Nobu.
With a mighty jump the trio were on their way.
The three were jumping from building to building, soaring throw the sky at high speed, until Hydrus spotted their destination.
Landing with heavy thuds, they stood in front of an iron gate. They looked up to see a sign above: Heavenway Hospital.
But despite the name, the place was deserted and in complete ruins, an abandoned hospital.
The hospital had a grim history of housing a strange doctor- the manager of the hospital- who was soon identified as a cannibal, but was what was even more disturbing was his preference in sexual partners.
He always found them in a morgue built in the basement of the hospital.
The filthy doctor was a necrophile.
After this scandal he was arrested then admitted to a mental hospital.
Only to escape two months later, and no one heard of him since.
The gates to the abandoned building opened slowly, as if welcoming the three, "I never liked this place" Nobu gazed forward with both disgust and weary evident on his face.
Alucard just smiled and went through, "I kinda like it, the atmosphere is nostalgic, reminds me of home"
Hydrus remained silent and followed the vampire, soon followed by the squeamish jackal.
The insides were destroyed and covered with spider webs and dust. They walked forward, deeper into the hospital.
Shuffling sounds came from a distance in front of them, followed shortly by a heavy thud. The sounds got closer as they resumed moving forward.
Closer, closer, closer, then stop.
A tall figure stood in front of them
They looked up to find a husky's face staring at them, his whole body was sown together, but brimming with thick bulging muscles, with iron bolts on his neck, making him look like an anthropomorphic Frankenstein's monster, wearing only a big pair of tattered shorts.
Alucard was the one stepping forward, "Franky, how are you, ya big stud" before holding him in a big hug, which was returned kindly by the big canine.
"Franky good, AL is good?" his voice was deep and strong.
"We're good big guy" he broke from the hug with a stern look, and smacking the big dog's arm, "And you! Where were you, no phone, no text, not even a darn letter"
"Franky sorry" the big canine looked like a puppy, with his hands behind his back, and ears laying on his skull, with big puppy eyes, "Al mad?"
"I definitely am" crossing his arms he turned his back to Franky.
"Franky really sorry" he held him in a back hug, whining softly, "Al forgive?"
Alucard looked back at him briefly, as a small smile crept on his muzzle, turning back to him and returning the hug, "I can never be angry with you, you walking jigsaw you" he pulled them to each other in a kiss.
Only to break off wide eyed looking back at Hydrus a few seconds later.
Nobu glanced at his master expecting anger, but he could only see a smile on his face. Nobu was the only one who knew that Alucard and Franky are a couple, not even their master knew until now.
Alucard was glancing back and forth between his master and boyfriend, expecting Hydrus to yell at him and forbid him from seeing Franky.
"You didn't have to keep it from me, it's not like I was going against it or anything"
All three stared at him with wide eyes, they knew if there is one thing he didn't like, is being left out of something. But those looks turned to relief, and the couple took each other in a huge embrace and another kiss.
"You too go and have fun, I know where to find the doctor" And with that the couple left hand in hand.
Nobu and Hydrus were walking towards the ICU ward, faint sounds and bed squeaks, 'AAAAAHHHHH.....AAHH' yep, the doctor is in the house.
The entered the ward to find torn and busted beds, with one that had its curtains drawn around the bed, with the silhouettes of a figure moving slightly before stopping.
Heavy breathing came from beyond the curtain, as it drew open, revealing a disheveled hyena, with pale green fur, hunched forward reaching almost to Hydrus' chest, a pair of syringes equipped gloves, the needles lining along his fingers looking like long sharp talons, connected with thin tubes to a four small containers strapped on his back, which contained different colored liquids, all lining from shoulder to shoulder, red, blue, orange and white, and wearing black shorts and a lab coat.
"Hey doc"
The hyena yelped and jumped waking up from his afterglow, "GYAH, don't do that!"
Nobu looked back at the bed, it had the body of a male fox laying still and breathless, with a green glowing fluid flowing from his tail hole. The creepy thing was that the body was perfectly clean and unharmed.
"What do you want?" he was smiling a few seconds ago, and seeing Hydrus has dampened his mood.
Nobu raised his staff straight at the hyena, "Watch your tone Dr. Stein, remember who gave you a place to indulge in your sick desires in peace"
Hydrus laid his hand on Nobu's arm calming him down , "Found anything from what we sent you?"
"Yeah, follow me" his tone softened slightly, he just didn't like to be surprised. He led them to his office, which had a bunch of monitors and keybords, "I managed to locate one facility deep in the amazon, and it contains exactly what you want"
Hydrus raised a brow, "Do tell doc" the doctor was their informant, before being a cannibalistic necrophilic doctor, he was a master hacker, slipping through security and fire walls with ease, taking what he wants, and leaving the system with no trace. If given a pass, he was unstoppable.
Dr. Stein typed a few commands and the monitors showed a simulation of a creature with four tendril vines jutting from its back, its skin was bright green with darker hues in random places, its head had a closed flower acting like a man covering its head, another monitor showed the head with the mane blooming like a flower revealing its reptilian like face, with a mouth resembling that of a Venus-flytrap.
The doctor turned towards them, "The Treeant, a genetic mutation caused by the waste of a nuclear powered factory that was located in the amazon ten years ago, It has the power to control plants at will, with the ability to shoot seeds that instantly grow to different kinds of carnivorous plants, and can release spores that act as parasites, slowly feeding of the host until it's death, giving the Treeant the power to control the seeded dead. Just like plant zombies"
Perfect, Hydrus thought with a wide smile.
"Thanks doc, you're a great help"
"Anytime boy"
Before he left, "Oh, can you watch over Alucard for a while, I just don't have a heart to break his and Franky's love moment"
Just then a loud howl sounded from a distance in the abandoned building.
The doctor just gave him a knowing smile, "I think it won't matter who watches over them....I'll look for other facilities, these files are a gold mine"
Hydrus and Nobu left the doctor to his computers, and the undead couple to each other.
A Limo was waiting for him at the gate, the raptor and weasel were waiting for him at the entrance.
The weasel opened the door for him and he got in.
The others followed him into the limo before driving off. As the car moved to the outskirts of the city, Nobu felt a hand pulling his skirt up and caressing his thighs softly. He looked beside him, to find the hand belonging to his master, he barely managed to stifle a moan, his problem was that his whole body was sensitive to a soft touch, and his master knew that fact all to well.
Hydrus was caressing his servant's thigh softly moving over to a big package covered by a cloth. He moved his hand to the front unlatching the skirt opening the cloth piece to reveal a pair of boxers with Egyptian design, a tent slowly rising through. His weasel servant whined a little and covered his own tenting pants, his master saw that and reached for his hardening cock, and jacking it softly.
The weasel was gasping and panting softly, before yelping suddenly with pain. Hydrus grabbed the whole package roughly squeezing hard and pulling up, forcing the servant to raise his hips, "You expect me to pleasure you when you disobeyed my clear orders, Bernard?" his hand glowed softly and briefly with dark energy, and released the softly weeping mustelid.
Bernard pulled his thong back slightly to find a black chastity belt of dark energy around his sheath, blocking his erection.
Hydrus returned his attention to Nobu, who was now on his hands and knees in front of his master, presenting his ass and giving his whole body to him. He felt his master's hands on his butt cheeks rubbing and groping, before pulling the boxers down revealing a sweet bubble ass ready to be ravaged by him.
He pulled the cheeks apart, pressing his face to that sweet pink pucker, he pressed his tongue hard to it, lapping and pushing hard inside. Nobu moaned loudly at the sensation and pushed his face in his arms, now his ass in the air giving his master more access, he breathed through his teeth sharply and held his face in a palm, unable to control his body. Hydrus pulled his face from the now wet hole, Nobu looked back at him with tired glazed eyes, he just patted his lap, knowing what his master wanted, Nobu jumped on the cushions laying his stomach on Hydrus' lap.
His master removed his helmet dropping it to the car floor along with his boxers and petted his head softly, now playing with his hole, pulling and digging deep, electing another moan from the big dog.
Just then the car stopped, "Sir we're here" the driver's a big bear called through the car's intercom.
Hydrus pushed Nobu from his lap lightly, the big canine still in a daze barely held himself still, as his master exited the car with Bernard and the raptor.
Managing to put his clothes back on, with his canine hard-on pushing the skirt up slightly, Nobu followed the other three out, to find a lake in front of them, it was very big, and a small opening connected to the sea.
Hydrus stood at the lake for a few minutes.
Suddenly he clapped his hands, and opened them with dark electric energy, coming from them. He then concentrated all the energy in one hand, before slamming his open palm on the ground. The energy traveled below the lake.
A few minutes of silence.
Then a sound resembling a heart beat came from the lake, accompanied by a faint light, the lake began bubbling lightly, the thumping sound increased in speed, before shining brightly.
*SPLAAAAASSSSSHHH*
A big structure appeared from below the lake, covered by a bigger dome, to stop water from flooding the building like structure.
After the structure rose above the lake surface, the dome opened and lowered below the small islanded building, a bridge appeared from below the entrance and a big metal gate opened.
The group got in the car again, and drove inside with the bridge pulling back, and the gate opening behind them. The tunnel leading inside was dark with a few small lights barely lighting the path. The car stopped near another slightly smaller gate, and the group along with the driver exited the vehicle as the gate opened.
Beyond the gate was what seemed like a bio-genetic research facility, with many rows and many floors held by iron railings of cylindrical containers containing different creatures sleeping calmly inside, held in a bright blue liquid with an oxygen mask on their muscles and connected to many wires and tubes. Beyond that, was a room with even more rows of floors of holding cells with thick glass doors containing live awake creatures, roaring, growling, hissing and banging on the doors.
Beyond that was two smaller electric metal sliding doors, one on the left lead to a incubation room, which held creatures being born and growing through biogenetic splicing, and the other contained a small research room, with big tables to hold the creatures while their blood and DNA is being analyzed by the resident doctors.
The place was filled with mercenary looking guards with different kinds of weaponry and guns, a few were even shirtless with only a pair of combat army pants. All wore spiked leather collars.
Hydrus and his group went to the research room, to find four people wearing lab coats sitting on small monitors, leaving a bigger monitor unattended. One of them a german shepard turned to them, "Oh, welcome sir, glad you came to visit"
Hydrus just smiled at the professor, "Thank you Prof. Heralds, anything on our latest project?"
A black cat with glasses turned back, "Almost done incubating sir, the creature you brought us, it's genes were fascinating, we decided to splice its genes with another creature to see the no doubtedly awesome results, hope you don't mind"
"Of course not, I was going to ask you to do so anyway"
A mole was watching a monitor closely, typing commands at an unbelievable rate, "Sir, one of our clients called yesterday, he seemed to be upset"
"I'll talk to him later myself"
The last scientist, a red fox got up from his seat, muttering to himself. His coat was opened, but what he wore under it was what interesting: he wore a harness on his chest, connected by two rings lining over his perked nipples and a pair of black leather boxers, a blue metal collar with a small orb in the middle rested around his neck.
Upon closer inspection, that seemed to be the 'uniform' of the scientists working there.
The fox carried a clipboard, muttering what's on it quietly, and bumped into Hydrus, who barely flinched, "Oh, really sorry sir, didn't see you there"
"No problem Renalds, just keep up with the good work" he ruffled the professor's black hair. "Can you check on our latest batch? It appears that our clients are beginning to get restless" The fox nodded and continued on his way.
He sat down in front of the big monitor, that automatically opened a page filled with names and numbers beside them. "Now. Who do we get to serve first?"
Meanwhile, at the Alliance building.
The place was built like a tower, with many rings surrounding it, indicating the different floors of the place.
At the top of the tower, Star Bolt was sitting in his office, going through a few reports.
*knock knock*
"Come in"
A female human wearing a suit hugging her slim figure, walked up to him, "Another all-nighter sir?"
"I'm afraid so" A few reports were scrambled on his desk, the one he was reading was of a lion wearing samurai clothes, a yakuza leader who came from japan to continue his reign of crime. But what worried him: was the leader's right hand-man...or creature. The figure standing beside him in the picture was a insect like creature that looked more alien than insect, with pale colored exoskeleton and the jacket he wore, were empty at the sleeves, making the creature seem armless, literally.
"The yakuza are getting more troublesome"
"Then why don't we go after them?"
"Until we know what's that weird creature under their leaders command, we can't just take them down. It looks like a trained soldier of sorts"
"Okay sir, I'll be leaving shortly, but Jenna will remain with you sir"
"Okay, thanks Rachel"
His secretary left closing the door behind her, his eyes were watching her closely. As she left, he grabbed a small picture frame from his desk drawer, it showed him without his mask but still in costume, holding a coyote wearing glasses and a lab coat in a loving embrace, both with goofy grins on their faces. "I'll do what I can to help you and the people of this city, my love"
At the local hospital.
In one of the ward rooms, a coyote laid with his body covered in burn bandages, only one side of his face and his muzzle shown through, oxygen mask and heart monitors strapped on him, his soft breaths and the beeping monitor indicating that he is alive. On the foot of his desk was a clipboard of his recent condition reports with his name clear on the bottom: Rudolph Adams