FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(A note from the author. Before we begin, this piece contains graphic depictions of blood and gore, which may make some of you uncomfortable. If this is true for yourself, I recommend reading no further. This piece also mentions characters from "A Day In The Life" in passing. Now back to your regularly scheduled entertainment.)

The automobile cut a swathe of light through the slowly falling darkness, its headlights illuminating the road ahead. The cabin lights were on, clearly illuminating the pair of furs within the iron casket of a vehicle.

"You've got all the paperwork in the back, right?" The passenger, a leopard, piped up. The other fur continued driving, seemingly oblivious to the question. A spotted paw gripped the drivers shoulder.

"Heeey, it's a straightaway, don't pretend you've gotta keep all your focus on the road." The driver seemed to snap back to this reality, before adjusting his grip on the wheel.

"Sorry, I'm a bit out of it at the moment, something about this place doesn't feel right to me." He glanced over at the leopard, his piercing blue eyes fixed on him.

"It'll be fine, the papers mentioned the place had a couple of guards, and his personal staff are trained in self-defense."

"I'm not worried about him or his cadre... just us."

"Eh? You mean that one story they played on the news?"

"Yeah... the incident with that one family of wolves." The leopard slumped back into his seat, somewhat deflated.

"That was another property." He stated, as if it were a matter-of-fact.

"It's the same guy running the show though, he could screw up again."

"Doubtful, it's very unlikely with the new compound they use for the hunt. I researched a bit into it."

"We'll have to see..." The driver looked rather concerned.

For a while, the only noise inside the car was the slight hiss of the air conditioning and the murmur of the engine. The trees along either side of the road made for an ominous canopy of branches overhead, the light cast by the headlights making dancing shadows along the road.

"There's no need to be worried Chev. It'll be fine." He said, reiterating his reassurances. Chev tightened his grip on the wheel, his claws etching slight marks into the soft leather casing.

"I've never done anything like this before, and the deal is fishy..."

"Thought we discussed this before? It's a PR move by the owner, to make up for the incident on that other property, he's waiving most fees and offering free recordings of hunts for first-timers." The leopard picked at his claws, cleaning them with a small file.

"That's what we think, Nehm." He relaxed his grip on the wheel before continuing.

"We could be wrong though."

The leopard sat up in his seat, after glimpsing something on the road ahead.

"That is what we think. But I think, now, that it will go swimmingly, and we'll have an evening to remember. There's no more time to brood about it anywho, there's the place up ahead."

Chev saw the fencing first, standing tall and imposing against the almost-pitch black darkness, illuminated every dozen feet or so by a strip of lights. The gate and gatehouse were made of solid white stone, while he couldn't quite tell what kind, it looked expensive. The stone glowed a bit, reflecting the light from the car. Chev rolled down the passenger window as he approached.

A faded brown muzzle, then face leaned out from the interior window of the gatehouse.

"You guys here for the hunt ad?" The dog almost barked out the query.

"Yeah, papers are in the back, do I need to bring them out now?" Chev asked.

The German Shepards ears twitched a bit.

"Nah, that's for the boss to look at, I'm just here to screen visitors. You've clearly got business with him anyway."

He turned his head towards the interior before he jabbed a paw digit into a hidden button.

"You're clear to go through, watch the gate." Said gate slowly swung open on its automated hinges, making not a sound.

"Must be freshly oiled..." Nehm murmured. Chev glanced over at his partner.

"We can back out any time you know, the ad was very specific about that."

"No, no... it'll be fun, I've just been infected with your jitters from earlier." He didn't sound very convincing.

Chev just nodded, and slowly drove down the paved driveway towards the large house. As they drove past a well-groomed tree, they noticed a camera perched atop a statue. Its' angular features and glass aperture panned to watch them as they continued driving.

"Good safety measure, that." Chev commented.

"He'll certainly know we're coming."

The car sputtered a bit, as they parked at the head of the roundabout. A paved pathway cut through the emerald carpet of grass, winding around a fountain before terminating at the entrance way to the home.

Chev smiled a bit, before teasing Nehm. "Laaaast chance."

Nehm stuck his tongue out at him, before retorting. "Thought you were the one that was worried."

He shoved open his door before replying.

"Worry never hurts, but I think we trust each other enough that if anything does go wrong, we'll be perfectly fine." He thrust his leg out into the slightly chilly evening air. Nehm bit back a reply, before he exited the vehicle as well. Their doors slammed shut almost in unison.

They both stepped onto the pathway, walking side-by-side towards the building. Nehm shivered a bit, before warm digits thrust themselves into this paw.

"Chev I-" He was silenced with another digit on his muzzle.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks." Chev pecked a kiss on the side of the leopards short muzzle.

"And it certainly doesn't concern him."

Nehm blushed, blood rushing to the skin beneath his fur, warming his cheeks.

"Say, wasn't that one dog you know talking about this last time we heard from her?" Chev took a moment to think, a digit and thumb placed pensively on his chin.

"Lars.. no.. Laris. Nah." He lowered his a head a moment.

"Perhaps Larissa was her name?" Nehm suggested.

Chevs face lit up, eyes widening. "Yeah! Larissa. That coyote gal."

"Beings he's offering free recordings, think she'd be interested in a copy?"

"Probably, I'll shoot her a message after we talk with Mr. Lorrenz."

"Kinda hope he gives us a thumb drive with it on it. Or maybe a portable hard drive... even better would be a hosted link."

Their minds distracted, they barely noticed they'd been past the fountain and were standing at the steps to the house.

Chev gestured with his paws in a wide, sweeping gesture." Shall we?"

"I think we will."

They took the steps two at a time, ready for the experience of their lives. They weren't expecting the door to swing open for them, though.

"Welcome to the Lorrenz estate, gentlefurs." A petite owl poked her head out from the interior of the house.

"Is there anything I can assist you two with, at this time?" She queried, after they didn't respond.

Nehm spoke up before Chev could. "Yes, we have business of sorts with Mr. Lorrenz."

"I had been informed." She gestured for the two to come inside. "Do make yourselves comfortable while I fetch his assistant for you, it shan't be long."

The inside of the house was decadent, expensive rugs parting the two sides of the room, the floor a black and white checkerboard pattern of tile. The walls were painted a soothing shade of bronze, in sharp contrast to the shining chrome of the chandelier illuminating the room. The two looked about for chairs, before settling themselves on a pair flanking either side of a wall-height painting.

Chev was more than mildly impressed with the sheer extravagance of the room, maw hanging slightly agape as he gawked at the luxurious furnishings. Nehm was not entirely unaffected by it as well, but not nearly as much as Chev.

"This guy has some serious cash invested in making this place look nice." Chev said.

Nehm shrugged, before responding.

"No real need for all of this, but I do have to admit, it is rather fancy, if not quite practical."

Chev leaned back in his seat, enjoying the soft press of the fabric against him. He idly traced the patterns in the side of the armrest before he heard soft footfalls.

The sound of a throat being cleared broke the silence. Nehm straightened himself in his chair, Chev did likewise. A crocodile in casual attire stood in the entrance way across from them.

"Good evening, Lorrenz is waiting in his upper study for you two. If you will follow me, I shall lead you to said study."

With a quick glance at each other, the pair got up rather unceremoniously from their perches. They took a moment to straighten their relatively plain clothes, before indicating the croc to lead the way.

"There any refreshments I can have the assistant get you before you chat with Mr. Lorrenz?" He asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the two.

"A glass of ice water, please." Nehm said.

"Uh, same as his." Chev noted.

The crocodile pulled out a small tablet, pecked at it for a moment, and continued walking.

"Your refreshments will be with us momentarily, gentlemen."

He lead them up a spiraling staircase, before stopping at a set of large wooden doors.

"Lorrenz is inside, your refreshments will also be inside, do let me know if there is anything else I can help you with on this fine evening."

He pulled open the door, and ushered the two in. The pair jumped slightly as they heard the door shut securely behind them. A mahogany desk, and tall-backed chair was turned towards the large glass wall at the far side of the room. A pair of silver-tipped ear tufts poked their way over the top of the chair.

Chev noticed Nehm raising an eyebrow as the chair spun around, revealing its occupant. A white wolf, with his paw digits steepled across his muzzle. He laid them down onto his desk, before speaking.

"Welcome to one of my many abodes, gentlefurs. To confirm for what is no doubt the umpteenth time, you are here for the hunt advertisement?"

Chev weakly nodded his head, his voice momentarily missing in action.

"I shall need to see the paperwork before we continue discussing further details about your hunt."

The pair looked at each other.

"Chev, you got the papers?"

"I thought you got them?"

Chev looked back at the wolf.

"I think we left them in our car. I'll go get them." He turned around to reach for the door, before the wolf spoke again.

"No need, I will have my assistant fetch them for you."

Chev slowly turned back around. "I... uh... okay. They aught to be on the back seat." Nehm elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ya forgot the papers." He was smiling a bit.

Chev closed his eyes and scratched the nape of his neck. "I suppose I did, yeah."

The wolf raised his paws in the air a bit, before bellowing out a hearty chuckle.

"Don't worry about it, such things happen. We've the whole night to wait, if need be."

Chev let out a weak chuckle, slightly embarrassed at his forgetfulness.

"Yeah, it's our first time on a hunt like this." Nehm said.

Lorrenz leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah? What made you decide you wanted to do this, anyways? Not really something all furs do, and the reasons for it are many and varied."

Nehm chewed his thoughts for a moment, before responding.

"Well, we thought it'd be fun, and there's something special about getting in touch with the less developed parts of our brains, letting the animal out to play for a while."

Lorrenz leaned forward in his chair, paying close attention to what the leopard had to say.

"Oh yes, it'll be fun indeed. Most meat-eaters quite enjoy this kind of entertainment. But you are incorrect on one thing." He stood up from his chair, letting his arms hang onto the desk. "That part of the brain has had just as long to develop as the rest, but we don't know what role it plays in everyday life."

Chevs ears perked up a bit.

"So you're curious as to how that portion of the brain works, huh." He posited.

"I'm curious in the entirety of the brain, and mind, you see." He flopped back down into his chair, before opening a drawer and retrieving a remote controller. A panel dropped down from the ceiling, before sparkling to life with camera footage.

"And with these cameras... I'll have an opportunity to examine that in-depth tonight. You'll get a copy of all the relevant camera feeds, as well."

Nehm swished his tail from side to side.

"Have you ever been on a hunt of this variety, Mr. Lorrenz?"

He steepled his paw digits yet again.

"I have, and while I don't remember much of it... I do still have the footage."

They stood there in silence for a moment, before the wolf broke it with his baritone voice.

"But where are my manners! Here are your refreshments, and have a seat on the chairs there. It may be a while before Evgar retrieves your papers." The wolf pulled a tray out from a panel in the wall, the earlier ordered drinks were waiting on it. Not a drop of condensation on either glass. He leaned over, allowing the couple to pluck their glasses from the tray after they had seated themselves.

Nehm took a sip from his glass, before querying.

"Evgar? That the crocodile fella?"

The wolf shrugged.

"That is indeed the one, he will also be watching you as the night progresses."

Chevs' ears twitched.

"Watching us, on the monitor or something?" He sipped his water slowly.

"No, he will be outside, ensuring you stay away from the main building during your... festivities."

Nehm took a hefty gulp of the icy water.

"Doesn't really look the violent type to me, he going to use a rifle or something?"

"Yes, actually." He flipped the channel on the panel before continuing to elaborate.

"He will be using a newer model tranquilizer rifle, a design I made myself."

Technical data and schematics scrolled across the screen, the weapon being reloaded, and firing at an unseen target. It was a simple design, yet effective, as the data showed.

"He will be one of four watching the exterior, I highly doubt there will be any situation where the entirety of them would be required, however."

Nehm rolled his shoulders in an approximation of a shrug.

"That's good, I suppose. Rather be overstaffed for something like this, rather than understaffed."

"I also have a few members of my staff that are quite proficient in first aid, should you scrape or cut yourselves badly enough that we would need to intervene."

Chev rolled his head a bit, joints popping as the fluid resettled.

"These sorts of things don't really happen that often though, right?"

The wolf sank further back into his chair.

"Not really, but as with the guards, it is far better to overdo the small things like this." He waved his paws in the air a bit. "Besides, it gives a more professional feel to the proceedings, wouldn't you say?"

The pair glanced at each other, before coordinating a shrug. A small picture popped into the monitor before a knock was heard at the door.

"Must be Evgar with your paperwork. Do come in!"

The scaled hand pushed the door open, letting his burly bulk through the doorway, before closing it shut behind him.

"Stuff's right here." He leaned between the pair of furs and plopped the sheaths of paper down unceremoniously. Nehm could've sworn he saw a grin tugging at that scaled muzzle, but he dismissed it as an idle fantasy.

Lorrenz mumbled to himself as he reviewed the documents, ensuring they were not counterfeit, nor inaccurate. Evgar leaned against the door, waiting for his employer to find the documents to his satisfaction. The rustle of paper being moved around was all that was heard in the room for a time. The papers rustling only interrupted by a slight creaking of the house as the wind picked up outside.

"It appears that all of your records came back just fine, a few questions, however."

Their attention piqued, they both stared daggers at the wolf.

"You are both in a relationship with each other, yes?"

They murmured their assent, nodding in the affirmative.

"Nehm, this one is mostly for you. Your records show a minor blemish of being intoxicated in public around New Years half a decade ago?"

The leopard scratched distractedly at the nape of his neck, a bit embarrassed at the old memory being brought up.

"I uh... did that, yeah. Also happened to be the best party that part of town had seen in yeaaars."

Chev raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing.

"Chev, you say your parents were different species, making you a hybrid, correct? I need some details on that."

Chev scowled a bit, before elaborating.

"Yeah, my mother was a tiger, and my father a lion, so I suppose I'm technically a liger. Though, I managed to dodge the whole sterile bit." His paws made air quotes at the mention of being unable to father pups.

"That's good, won the genetic lottery in that one." He stacked the papers back atop one another, before evening them out by patting them against the desk. "That is all the information I will need, you may proceed to the prep room whenever you are ready."

Lorrenz kicked up a paw onto his desk.

"Evgar will direct you to the room."

The pair wrenched themselves out of the comfortable chairs, their minds whirring with the possibilities yet to come tonight. Evgar pulled the door open for them, allowing them to proceed out of the room without much ado. The solid thud of the thick wooden doors closing reverberated slightly off of the walls.

"Would you like a refill of your refreshments before getting ready? Or perhaps a tour of the home?"

Chev shook his head. "No, thank you for the offer, though."

"I'm just here to make sure you two have a good time and don't get hurt too badly. The prep rooms are downstairs, if you would follow me.." He gestured towards another doorway, this one leading into an elevator. Once they had all piled into the metal box, the croc stabbed the button leading to the bottom-most floor. One thing was universal, and that was bad elevator music.

After the doors had shut, the croc piped up.

"Just so you two know, you'll need to get the compound separately, we've got two partitions separated by reinforced glass, so you'll still be able to see and hear each other." He shrugged, before continuing. "Everyone reacts to it slightly differently, so we'll see how it goes with you two before we let you loose on the grounds."

As the elevator came to a sudden halt, he grinned a very toothy smile.

"Oh, and beings you two are a couple and all, if there's anything in that department you want to resolve, we've got facilities on the property for that as well."

Chevs maw hung somewhat agape at his suggestion, his mind trying to come up with a proper answer, before Nehm did for him.

"No thank you, if we were going to do that, it'd be at home. It'd be rather awkward if we were to leave any stains here, after all." Chev glanced over at his partner, maw still wide open. His cheeks felt very flushed.

"Aight, just figured I'd let you two know." The awkwardness was palpable as they stepped off at their destination.

The room was clean, had a tiled floor, and a fairly large booth off to the side of the aforementioned glass partitions. In front of the door leading to the booth however, was a spitting image of the man upstairs.

"Mr. Lorrenz Junior, I assume your father already briefed you on what you're to do tonight?"

The wolfs' ears swiveled, knocking out an earbud that was clipped to it.

"Yeah, of course he did." The voice that grated out of his muzzle was sour.

"Good, I'll leave these two in your very capable paws."

Nehm and Chev finished off the last of their drinks, before Evgar took the glasses with a smile.

"Ignore him, he's just bitter he's not playing with his VR electronics." He bowed slightly to the two, before stepping back onto the elevator, and ascending to another floor.

"Pa also seems to forget that I'm a vegetarian." The wolf shrugged.

Nehm raised an eyebrow.

"A vegetarian wolf, huh? To be honest, I can't say I've heard of that before."

He kicked off of the door he was leaning against, standing upright.

"The pills and supplements are a pain, but I know they're worth it. It saves a lot of animals, a lot of anguish if I just abstain from eating meat products."

"Huh, fair enough I suppose. You're also going to be operating the compound delivery system, I assume?"

"Yup, just a few buttons to push for each side, after each side gets administered with the stuff, we'll take a few measurements from inside the booth, and see how you react!"

Chev cocked his head to the side a bit, before poking at their new-found acquaintance.

"You seem awfully chipper about the compound, even though you don't like eating meat. Studying it or something?"

The wolfs eyes lit up a bit, before the words poured out of his muzzle.

"Yeah, actually, I'm taking courses on the different editions of the compound, as well as electronic engineering." He gave the door handle an experimental twist to ensure it wasn't locked.

"This kind of compound is the stuff that goes down in the history books as a kind of social norm, you know? Kind of like how alcohol weaved it's way into society, this stuff might. For meat-eaters, at least."

Nehm shrugged.

"As good a reason as any, to study the stuff."

The wolf blushed a bit, his cheeks growing flustered.

"Riiight, and before I forget... it'd be best if you left your clothing with us. We'll have it cleaned and ready for you when the effects finally wear off." He shoved his paws into his pockets, before staring at the ground.

Chev chuckled a bit.

"So that's why Larissa wanted a copy, huh."

Nehm dug his phone out of his jacket pockets, before flicking it on and scrolling through his contacts. His brow furrowed for a moment, before he spoke.

"I don't seem to have her in my contacts, you got her info on yours?"

Chev shoved his hands into his pockets, before retrieving the small smart device. He stabbed at the screen before frowning, then puffing out a gust of air.

"No... but I do have someone called Novelle."

It was as if a light bulb had appeared over Nehms head.

"Yeah, that was the 'ness she was going out with, they were pretty steady last I heard." He put his phone back into his pocket before commenting further.

"So you wouldn't mind sending off a message for me, right?"

Chev pushed the phone into his paws.

"You can probably peck it out faster than me, message away!"

HEY NOVELLE AT THE HUNT PLACE WITH CHEV

WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU OR LARISSA WANTED A

COPY OF THE RECORDINGS. -NEHM

"And send."

"Do you think they'll bite? It is like past midnight."

"Larissa probably will, she asked about it, after all. I don't know about Novelle though. "

"Heh, they'll probably both be interested once they realize they get to ogle us while we're out of our minds during the hunt." They both shared a hearty chuckle before the young wolf cleared his throat.

"The sooner, the better you two, I've some hardware that needs modding yet this fine evening."

They mumbled their apologies before getting down to the business of removing their clothing. Each piece that came off, left them chilled a bit more. The room was cold, almost as cold as the outside.

The wolf noticed they were shivering before they'd even divested half their clothing.

"Just so you know, you'll only be cold for a while. Side effect of the compound is increased body temperature. You won't be cold, probably even be punishingly hot during." Their ears flicked a bit in his direction, their way of acknowledging his words.

After they'd shucked off all of their clothing, piling it in a neat little pile, they lined up at the separate doors for the partitions. Nehm planted a kiss on Chevs cheek before they separated.

"For good luck." Like an echo, Chev nodded and replied.

"For good luck, indeed."

They stepped through the open doors, and sat down on the bare wooden benches inside the separate chambers. Once they were securely inside the rooms, the wolf pulled his door shut, and locked it. A myriad of buttons and knobs adorned his dashboard, but there were only four that needed his attention during the process.

He murmured to himself the steps of the process as the other two waited patiently.

"Seal doors..." The doors to each entrance to the partitions popped shut, sealing the environment off.

"Adjust atmosphere levels..." There was an audible hiss as more oxygen flooded into the chambers.

"Clear valves and pipes." He inspected the readout on the dashboard before continuing to the final, most important step in the process.

"Release the compound into room 1."

Nehm saw Chevs' ears twitch as the bitter chemical scent filled his side of the glass fishbowl. The chemical had a slight gray coloring to it as it wafted ever higher in the room. Until it wafted straight into his nose. The compound burned Chevs' nose and lungs, it felt like he was breathing hot embers straight into his chest. He coughed, and sputtered until his lungs grew used to it. Once they had, he felt the glowing ember-like feeling spreading throughout his body. Out from the lungs, to his sides, down his flanks, through his legs it spread, leaving heat in its wake.

He began to pant as it reached his neck and arms, the burning heat making his senses feel alive. The slight draft from the fans no doubt circulating through the vents on the floor, ruffling through his fur ever so softly. The heavy scent of himself, sitting there on the bench. The sight of the operating wolfs wide eyes watching the effects first-hand. And Nehm, watching him as well, standing with a paw to the glass separating them.

Chev began to pant, it felt as if the heat were going to burst out of him at any moment and light the entire room on fire, it was so hot. He felt the airborne chemicals slowly working through the rest of his extremities, the muscles in his ears and neck felt taut, ready to snap at any moment. His paws began to clench and unclench, seemingly of their own accord, the small, well-groomed claws there flashing out of their sheathes.

The wolf flopped himself back down inside the control room. The worn chair threatened to buckle under his weight, but held firm, for now. He pulled up biometric data on his dashboard, evaluating the ligers' various statistics. They were all mostly within reason, save for a few that were rather high, but not altogether problematic. He reacted quite well to the stuff, all things considered. However, it remained to be seen how his partner would react.

He mumbled to himself as he tapped out a quick questionnaire detailing the reaction.

"Pulse is fine, minor increase in aggression, blood pressure a bit high, pupils dilating as they should, memory loss remains to be seen..."

With a quick swipe on the console, he sent it off to his father. The data would more than likely prove to interest him in some manner.

"And now for the spotted feline."

Nehm heard the hissing of pipes before he felt the whirring of the air being shoved into the enclosure. The gas had a thicker consistency than the wispy strands in Chevs' partition. Nehm hissed and bared his teeth as he felt the stuff whirl around him. He flopped himself back down onto the bench, it would be inconsiderate to have them use more than they needed to. Even if he knew it was mostly safe, Nehm was uncertain and uneasy regarding the mist circulating around him.

He had a nervous tapping with his paw going by the time the first chemical-laced breath of air rushed its' way into his lungs. He didn't quite cough and sputter like his partner did, but it burned something awful on the first few gulps of air. He, too, felt the gaseous warmth seep into his lungs, before being circulated throughout his body. His heart thumped heavily in his chest, pushing the compound through his arteries.

It flowed into every extremity, Nehm was sweltering in the heat emanating off of his body now. His panting did little to alleviate his flushed skin, his fur quickly gaining a thin sheen of sweat. If he still had his clothes on, they'd certainly have been shredded off the moment this started. No doubt assisted by the claws on the end of his paw digits. His paws clenched tightly, then opened, repeating this cycle over and over again until he heard the hissing stop. Nehm grimaced, he was not used to being bothered like this, most itches could be scratched. This one couldn't.

The wolf kicked his footpaws up onto another chair. There was more data to fill out on the both of them, before they'd be let loose on his fathers' property. If any of it was incorrectly filled, filed, or sent to the wrong person, it could have dire repercussions. It would be pretty difficult to mess up a simple yes/no question box, however. All the other data was automatically gathered from the systems.

A few minutes after, after the couple was absolutely drenched in sweat, the information-gathering was done. The exit pair of doors popped open with a pop and hiss, as the outside environment equalized with the interior.

"You two may proceed out now, do be careful of the flowers and potted plants, however."

The wolfs' clinical voice was barely even registered as they began to shuffle out of the room, and towards the outside. The tile underneath their footpaws quickly turned to concrete and gravel, as they exited out into the cold night air. They didn't feel a thing of it, they were far too distracted with all the sights and sounds and smells. Both of each other, the guards stationed on the house, and the plants.

But where was the scent of the prey animal that was promised? A loudspeaker crackled to life, no doubt not having been used in recent times.

"I will allow you a few moments to adjust to the outside world again, before releasing the prey onto the property soon after." The wolf on the other end cleared his throat, before continuing. "It will be released at a variety of possible points, you will need to use your noses to find it. Though, surely, it will not be very difficult."

Once again, their minds barely registered a thing that was said, other than "prey" and "soon".

The grass underneath their footpaws was very well manicured, the two felt the slight breeze brushing it against them. Felt every small bit of detailed texture rubbing against their digits, even. The loosely packed dirt underneath it compressed as the two shifted their weight, clearly anxious to get going. They did not need to bother with words, though it was doubtful they could conjure them if they tried.

A loud popping noise, then the sound of a steel cage door screeching open did not phase the two. They could hear it as though it were happening right next to them, but it was no doubt farther away than that. They could smell it too, a young buck in his prime, his earthy scent having been hidden somehow before he'd been released. It took no convincing for the two to bolt off from where they had been in search of the feast on legs this was sure to be.

Meanwhile, the owner watched on with keen interest.

"And you see, that's how it always starts. The look of excitement! The thrill of the chase just begun! The amplified senses because of the compound!" The wolf spun around in his tall-backed chair, like a fur possessed.

The crocodile merely sat and chuckled. Lorrenz always did get excited about these hunts, almost like a little kit again. He took a sip of his shot glass of alcohol before querying his employer.

"Shouldn't I be out there watching?"

The chair spinning stopped for only a brief moment.

"Not in the slightest, there's no need for all four to be out at once, and I'd much rather have someone I trust in here with me should things... escalate."

The scaled reptile almost blushed, then steeled his voice, wanting to sound all business.

"I'm delighted to hear that, sir. Could I get some more whiskey?"

While Lorrenz fetched the whiskey bottle from one of the drawers of his desk, Evgar fondled the rifle. Everything on the rifle worked smoothly, or so he had tested himself a few hours before. Still, the more checks he could do on it, the better. It would leave a poor stain on his record if he had to resort to using his sidearm on a pair of furs. Unarmed furs, at that.

Still, it was highly improbable they'd get into the house, all the action was to be outside tonight. All the better, too, it would be devastating to have any of his employers valuables broken, or worse, stolen. He snorted at the thought, and pictured the headlines of the news.

"_ Drug-Addled Furs Steal Antiques" _

Bah, he'd never hear the end of it, and neither would Mr. Lorrenz.

"Here's the whiskey, finely aged as you've no doubt tasted." He poured an additional glass for himself, and refilled Evgars'.

"To a successful night!" Their glasses clinked as they both toasted, and downed the drink in a single gulp. The panel shifted to a different camera, and focused on the two young furs again.

"You ran the digital and physical checks on the fences in the back forest properly, right?"

Evgar harrumphed.

"Yup, ran 'em from the data tablet, and walked the whole length of the property just before they arrived, all of 'em work."

"The electric bit of the fence as well?"

"Yeah, didn't poke it or anything, and the tablet didn't say there were any faults or outages."

Lorrenz shoved himself back into his chair yet again, his brow furrowed. The camera had swapped again, this one was mounted on a tree and showed the deer running towards it.

"Good, good." His voice trailed off as the two gained on the prey with each bounding step.

Chev felt his heart beating quicker than a jackhammer as he bounded into the wooded area behind the large house. He scarcely noticed the camera with a red dot next to its aperture, indicating it was on. Nehm was not far behind, his spotted form moving lithely in the night, much more gracefully than Chevs' lumbering frame. Even if the trees obstructed the moonlight, they could see well enough, eyes well-adjusted to the low nightlight. Their instincts were in full command of their bodies, and they dictated to hunt what was in front of them until they caught it.

The adrenaline flowing through both of them had them shuddering as they leapt, run, and bounded their way through the treeline. The occasional tree blocked sight of their target for only moments, they wove around the obstructions.

Nehm was so close he could almost taste the deer, the walking pile of choice meat cuts mere feet in front of them. He gulped down his saliva as he sprinted towards it. He wanted-no, he needed to taste what a fresh kill was like. Chev was not far behind, his footpaws thundering along the ground in the quiet night. They barely registered the slight incline they were on, nor the red warning lights of the electric fencing. It didn't matter because they were on the deer before it could become a problem.

Nehm leaped through the air, his lightly-muscled form cutting through the distance between he and his soon-to-be meal easily. The leopard latched onto the deer, claws on his footpaws and handpaws raking bloody gashes along the animals flanks. It bleated out in terror, and pain, before another pair of claws raked its' flesh.

Chev had latched on as well, while Nehm was on its' back, Chev had latched onto its' front torso. His jaws snapped at where the animals neck used to be, as the whole lot of them tumbled to the ground. Chev caught a hoof to the chest, but was undeterred. His jaws soon found their target. Nehm bit deeply into the back of the animals neck, while Chev tore at its' throat.

The animal thrashed for only a few long moments more, before collapsing limply. It succumbed to its' demise only moments after they'd nearly decapitated the thing with their large bites. The two were covered in bits of gore and blood, their fur patterns mixed with the fresh coating of red. They both panted heavily, their breath coming out as bouts of steam.

Chev felt his ribs throb only slightly, the pain doing nothing to stop him from ripping into a flank, and devouring it with eager abandon. Nehm watched with eager gusto, letting his partner take his choice cuts, or tears as it were, before ripping off his own chunks. They ate messily, managing to cover themselves in more blood than they already had just by taking down the animal.

A camera whirred as it focused in on the two, its' red operation light gleaming softly.

"Now see, that's what our feral counterparts do every day in the wild. Erry daaay." Lorrenz slurred his words as he poured yet another shot of whiskey. Evgar chuckled at his bosses overindulgence. He clearly couldn't hold his alcohol nearly as well as the croc could.

"That they do, that they do indeed. They ever figure out what separates us from that?" He raised an eyebrow a moment, before quickly adding to the query. "I mean, other than the fact that we started living in huts."

"Ehh, not really. 's part of the reason I want to keep hosting these. I need as much data as I can get on the transitions!" Lorrenz sloshed around the alcohol in the opened whiskey bottle, gesturing wildly.

"Sir, I think we should switch to ice water for now, and save the rest of that for tomorrow. You're going to wind up with a nasty hangover otherwise." Evgar nudged the rifle, still propped up by the other chair, ensuring it was still there.

"Certainly! Got... business to do tomorrow too." Lorrenz trailed off.

Evgar hoped his employers' son knew what he was doing. It was going to be a long night otherwise.

Their hunger sated for now, the two laid prostrate on the ground underneath the clear starlight. Nehm was purring with satisfaction, Chev merely groaned. While the meat had been raw, and straight from the source, they'd never tasted a meal quite like it before tonight. Chev flopped over, rolling onto his back. The ground was sticky with the spilled blood, and it had begun to congeal on his fur. It was going to take quite a cleaning to get it all out tomorrow.

Nehms' ears swiveled round, and twitched as he purred. It had been quite the filling meal, though Chev had eaten more of it, Nehm still had more than enough to stuff himself with prized cuts of meat. He stretched out his paws, groaning a bit as several joints popped back into place after the frenzied chase. The compound showed no signs of wearing off on either of them yet, their skin was still flushed with heat.

Chevs' nosepad itched. An odd scent had found its' way into his nostrils. Almost smelled like... another cat? That couldn't be right though, the only other feline around was Nehm, and he knew his scent by heart. His drug-addled mind brushed it off, and relaxed. Nothing was going to go wrong, Lorrenz had this under control... Right?

A younger wolf chucked a bit, as he hit the various buttons on the control panel. He was still in the booth, still monitoring vitals, still giggling at the data. There wasn't much funny about the data, but he found it funny anyways. It didn't have anything to do with the bottle of white wine he had snatched from his fathers' wine cellar, oh no. He slapped his paw down on the control panel, it was locked to input after the compound was released anyway, so wasn't anything that could be triggered. Until it was.

The wolf still giggled, thrown out of his mind by the high-grade liquor. His VR equipment could wait, monitoring these vitals was... too hilarious. He hit the panel again, laughing out of his mind until a camera display flashed onto the panel. Wait, why was the cage to the GE wolf-tiger ope- Shit.

Shit was the operative term on Chevs' mind when a huge ball of fur and stripes was lumbering after both he and Nehm. They'd been rudely interrupted during their relaxation hearing it coming from hundreds of feet away. They'd scarcely had to get to their paws before it snarled at them, clearly intent on hunting them.

It was larger than any wolf Chev had ever seen, even on TV, or the internet, and had odd striping patterns. Almost as if it were a hybrid, or genetically modified in some way. Genetic modification wasn't illegal as of yet, just frowned upon. Surely it'd be a waste to- The hybrid snapped at him, his jaws mere inches from Chevs' tail. He had better things to think about at the time, rather than vague laws and rulings.

Nehm snarled, he hated this. He hated running, he came here to hunt, not to be hunted! His skin was flushed further with embarrassment and indignity, he'd come here to hunt herbivores, not carnivores anyway! They both panted hard, drawing their breaths in short, labored gasps, and throwing out the air in their lungs in sharp exhalations. It was only a matter of time before the hybrid would be upon them. Chev growled. The furs at the house wouldn't even notice unless they saw it on one of the cameras.

Even then, it'd take them minutes to get all the way out here. Chev could scarcely believe the distance they'd run away from the main building, until he saw it. They burst out of the tree line, hybrid close in tow. The slow whirring of a camera went unnoticed as it panned quickly to watch the scene unfold.

Lorrenz had long since slumped back in his chair, having overdone the alcohol far too much. He'd been quite unable to watch the proceedings live. But Evgar did, and he was rightly upset with furious anger. That little pup had managed to mess up the simplest job in this whole business! He growled, a deep growl sounding more like an earthquake than something a fur could make. He slammed the dart home and shoved an packet of them into each of his pockets. Oh yes, that young wolf would have a lot of explaining to do when he got a hold of him.

For now however, he made do with snarling into his walkie-talkie.

"Are you fucks even awake? Get the damned buggy ready, and your rifles, we need to go catch Mr. Lorrenzes' latest GE pet!"

The radio crackled to life with the other trained guards of the house replying. Even the front gate guardsman left his post to assist in capturing or otherwise dispatching the latest threat. Evgar didn't wait for them to ready themselves up before he headed out to the garage. They knew how they'd need to arm themselves, tranquilizer rifles and lethal sidearms, and ammo, with nothing else.

Chev felt the hot breath of the massive beast behind him washing over his back. It was far too close for any sort of comfort now, and his legs were absolutely burning. The compound could only do so much for the muscles, and this was pushing the limits of said muscles even with that assistance. Nehm was looking just as ragged as Chev, his tongue lolling out of his muzzle, in an attempt to cool off.

The hybrid was far too close to the both of them, if he snapped at either of them he could- Nehm tumbled out of the way, losing his momentum as the hybrid snapped at him, missing not even by a furs-width. So close even, that it ripped a clump of fur out of his coat. Nehm snarled, he had enough of running.

The words died in Chevs' throat as he saw Nehm leap onto the beast, ripping at its' hide with his claws. Instead, only an inarticulate scream of rage bellowed forth as he followed his partners lead. Running would get them nowhere after they'd lost their momentum.

Nehm ripped at the great beasts' sides, tearing chunks of flesh and fur away from the hybrids flank. Chev followed suit, managing a higher jump onto its' back, where the ligers jaws clamped onto while his claws tore into the beast. They sank in deep, finding plenty of purchase to keep the liger on the beasts back. The faint purring of a motor distracted none of the group from continuing their battle royale.

The hybrid twisted this way and that, attempting to throw off the two dangerous felines on its' back. It managed to when it rolled on the ground, the two furs releasing their death grip on the hybrid. The beast wasted no time whatsoever in maiming the unlucky fur that was Nehm, raking huge gashes in his chest. The blood pouring down his chest, mixing with that which was already there. Chev screamed his throat raw, seeing his partner hurt so.

He threw himself onto the beast again, hoping to distract him from Nehms' limp body. The rage that burned within Chevs' chest rivaled even that of the compound seeping through his veins. His jaws found purchase on the beasts front leg.

Pff,Pff,Pff.

Chev scarcely noticed the darts impacting the beast as it tried to shake him off. It tried to snap at him, but he jumped away, minus a large clump of fur. More darts, this time from another angle. Chev snarled. The darts were doing seemingly nothing! He leaped back at the beast, finding purchase in yet another tender piece of flesh, this time its' flank. His mind vaguely processed a dart hitting him, but brushed it off as the beast clawing at him.

Its' struggles were weaker now, whether from blood loss, or the darts, Chev could not tell. He didn't much care either. Not while Nehm was hurt. He was going to keep tearing at this beast until it was a pile of gore and viscera. And then until it was a puddle of goo. He nearly got his wish when it tumbled over with a loud whine. He continued to lash out at it again and again until he felt more darts impact him, some of them missing their mark and lodging themselves in the beast.

He didn't stop clawing at the beast until his eyes slid shut, the fatigue far too much for him.

Evgar sniffled.

The beast had finally been brought down, or subdued at least. But it was going to take a lot of explaining to Mr. Lorrenz, and even more explaining by Mr. Lorrenz Jr. as to how this all occurred. The perfect storm as it were. Heh, Mr. Lorrenz might even let Evgar discipline the boy, all things considered. For now, Evgar settled with calling the nearest hospital capable of medivac service, and had them rush a helicopter out for two furs.

Nehm, and Chev. They'd gotten themselves into so much more than they bargained for tonight. Mr. Lorrenz had the right idea of hiring more personnel to ensure things went smoothly, but sometimes all the conditions just line up for a shitty night. Evgar hoped and even prayed a bit that Nehm would be alright, Chev had only minor injuries, but they still needed treatment nonetheless.

This was damn sure going to come out of that kids' allowance, and inheritance if the bills racked up. They probably would. Evgar had a few ways of making sure they would. Like copying a few copies of the footage around, in various formats. Just in case Junior thought he could pull a fast one with his technical wizardry and delete the nights events.

The helicopter whirled overhead, its' blades slicing through the air quickly before coming to a graceful landing mere feet away from Nehm. Nehm looked bad, but Evgar was sure he would pull through. The best doctors in the province had a way of making sure that would happen.

It was a good thing the both of them were out cold, as right about now is when the compound would start wearing off. Had they been a few minutes later on the take down, there would have been a body count.

A few hours later...

"Yeah, I understand, no I don't want an interview. No, I don't want to put a hit on him. No, I'm very sure, thanks though." Chev hung up his cell phone, and gripped Nehms' spotted paw.

They'd both been banged up pretty bad that night, but Mr. Lorrenz hadn't lied when he said it would be fun. It was, until the GE beastie got out. For now, he squeezed Nehms' paw and waited for him to wake up. The anesthesia from the surgery should be wearing off any moment no-

"Hey Chev." The liger had to blink back tears upon hearing his partners voice again.

"I thought you'd never wake up." The relief in his voice was palpable.

"Neither did I, that was a big fight." Nehms' voice croaked.

"It was."

"I heard something about a hit, it on furtube or something now?" Chev chuckled a bit at his partners' comment.

"No, someone was asking me if I wanted an interview, if I wanted a hit, if I was sure." They both laughed.

"That's great, think he'd have charged?" He asked, almost seriously.

"Probably not, he sounded like he had a bone to pick with Lorrenz."

"Well, I mean, his sons' incompetence nearly got us killed, right?" Chev raised an eyebrow.

"Huh? I haven't told you that yet."

"It's the only person it could have been, Chev."

"He was found passed out in the booth, with a bottle of cheap wine. Empty of course." Chev spat, in disgust.

"Bah, of course he was. We going to press charges?" He coughed a bit after saying his piece.

"I'm not sure yet, you aren't fully recovered yet, and neither am I. It really depends on the kind of settlement we're getting from Lorrenz."

"Huh, I hadn't thought of that... better be some good cash though."

"Well, it probably will be, you know how wealthy people are. Wealthy, ha." His dry humor was not lost on Nehm.

"I think we'll wait until we get our footage from him first, then we'll decide on a course of action. Something that would suit all of us."

"Actually, he sent that out already."

"He... did? That was fast."

"Yeah, Novelle has it on her home rig, Larissa has it on hers, too, they've dropped a drive by our place with our copies."

"Well, how about that."

They sat there for a moment in silence, the sun slowly coming up.

"So, how would you rate our hunt, on a scale of one to ten?" Chev inquired.

"Would've been something like a twenty without the 'almost getting killed' part. Was amaaaazing other than that."

"So maybe another time, with another property?"

"Pending on how good of terms we are, I was thinking perhaps with Lorrenz, again."

Chevs maw hung agape.

"Him, again?"

"Yeah, it wasn't really his fault, was his sons."

"You... have a point, though he should've had someone a bit more trustworthy doing that."

"He did trust his son, and his son screwed that up."

"Huh, when you put it like that, I suppose it wasn't that bad on his part. I think we should consider it if he does all the technical stuff himself."

"Or Evgar."

"Oh, that croc guy? I suppose he could do as well."

Nehm squeezed Chevs' paw tightly.

One of the windows to the outside world was open, the clean, white drapes drawn back to allow airflow into the room. The beginnings of an early sunrise were poking over the horizon.

"Stay with me and watch the sun rise."

"I will."

(And that is that! As always, comment below on what could have been better, tell me what you liked, what you disliked, and what simply wasn't to your taste. Thank you for reading.)