Authors Note: Sorry for the wait! I finally finished another chapter of Quicksilver, the fastest mammal alive. Again I should mention that this story connects to Garouge Faux's Take a Stand universe. Please give that story a read if you haven't already. Again please leave reviews and let me know your ideas and opinions on this story. Chapter 4 is currently in the works although with my new job its been slow going. Please please PLEASE review. I need your input to improve the story. Anyways, on with the chapter!

Chapter 3

Greyson Silver absentmindedly plucked the strings of his guitar as he sat in his studio-loft early the following morning, his fur messy and his tail frizzled. The notes were unharmonious and off key. He hummed random melodies trying to make one flow with the chords he was playing, but the notes sticking about as well as rain on a car window. Not at all.

Truthfully this was all a distraction to keep the coyote from racing off to Camelot HQ for information that, in all honesty, he probably wasn't going to get. Hound is going to be a tough nut to crack, Greyson thought to himself, the odds of us getting anything useful out of him are slim to none. He sighed. Time moved slowly for the speedster and this morning was no exception, the hands of his studio clock moving like molasses across a table.

The ring of his doorbell caused the coyote's ears to shoot skyward. At a normal pace, Greyson made his way down the carpeted stairs and into his entryway, cleaning his fur on the way down. Without looking through the peephole, Greyson opened the mahogany door to find a tall and muscled white tail deer hoisting a duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Well good morning sleepyhead," The deer chuckled, observing the coyote's bedhead as he let himself into the home, "I see insomnia treated you well last night."

Greyson smiled tiredly. "Good to see you too James. Not gonna lie, I completely spaced our training session today, but I'm still down to work out if you are."

"Psh if I'm down to work out," James Stronghorn jokingly mocked the coyote before stopping to shoot Greyson an amused look, "As your personal trainer it's basically my job to force you to your limits, and we are not taking a break today because you decided to sleep in."

The coyote raised an eyebrow, a cheerful smile spreading across the canine's face. "Wait a minute, don't I pay you? Doesn't that make me your boss?"

"Oh please Silver," The deer marched through the house and into the garage where the workout equipment was set up, "You need me as much as I need a new set of weights. You don't have the guts to fire me and truthfully, I doubt you have the guts to finish today's reps. Now go get changed. No good workout is done in PJs."

Greyson groaned and jogged up his stairs to change into his workout attire before returning to the makeshift gym. Starting with stretching, Greyson worked his way through his trainer's fitness regiment. Squatting, bench pressing, and curling to work out all the muscles of his body all while James yelled encouragement and guided him through his workout routine.

"There you go bro! I remember when you could barely lift a 20 and now look at you. Lifting as much as my grandma!" James chuckled at his own joke, "Alright that's enough of those." Greyson lowered the weights he was lifting and sat back against the wall of the garage, panting hard.

"Leg works today?" James asked, motioning towards the weight machines against the wall far wall of the gym.

"Not today, next time for sure," Greyson replied, raising a bottled water to his lips and drinking several deep gulps of the refreshing liquid, "I went running last night and I'll consider that my leg workout until Thursday. Let's just move into boxing."

The deer raised an eyebrow. "Running huh? Don't suppose that was you on channel 7 news this morning then?"

The coyote shrugged coyly. "Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually." He strapped on his boxing gloves and helmet and his trainer did the same, moving to the large matted area in the center of the garage. The two mammals took up fighting stances in both corners of the mat, bouncing and breathing in rhythm as they began to spar while chatting.

"No cheating this time speedy. I didn't teach you to fight to fight unfairly," James remarked, throwing a couple of air punches to warm himself up, "Besides, if you can knock someone out without your powers, you can K.O. three times as many mammals with your powers."

"I didn't cheat! I simply utilized my god given gifts to give myself an advantage." Greyson laughed, approaching the deer, "Not my fault you didn't have the reaction time to block my punches."

"An unfair advantage. So you don't deny your public debut last night?" James asked, throwing light punches at the canine, who deftly dodged each blow, "I thought the silver speedster worked alone and out of the public eye."

"You of all people know that working alone is only half true, remember that you're the only one who knows which means that we're basically partners. Heaven knows I would be dead three times over if it wasn't for you and your self defense trainings," The coyote dipped and ducked and threw punches of his own which were blocked by the deer's muscled forearms, "As for working out of the public eye, I figured it was time for a change of pace. If Ceartais can work out of the shadows so can I. Plus, I needed to get my MIB agent's attention."

"We talked about this bro… Are you sure you can trust him? I mean, he works for the MIB for shit's sake," James threw heavier punches and hooks at the coyote who danced around the blows, "Secrets are his bread and butter. Even if you haven't told him your identity, how long before he loses trust in you and pluck a hair for dna tests?"

"I trust him. He's the same MIB agent who slipped me intel when I was after Misdadd. I wouldn't have been able to take down her empire without him…" Greyson maneuvered around the deer, tossing quick punches into his raised arms in an attempt to break through his defences, "If he wanted to arrest me he would have done it last night."

"Fair enough…" The deer quickly sent two blows into Greyson's forearms before rapidly hooking right and catching the canine in the mouth, "What about work? You have the money to take care of yourself while you do this little crusade?"

"Now that you mention it, I am working on a new album…" Greyson rubbed his cheek with his glove before getting back into his boxing rhythm, "But yes, my crusade is plenty funded."

James stopped his bouncing and lowered his gloves. "Listen, I brought this up last time we talked but, are you sure you want to go through with this man? I know that she meant a lot to you, she meant a lot to a lot of people," The deer pulled off his boxing gloves and began to unstrap his helmet, prompting Greyson to do the same, "Is she worth fighting this fight for?"

"What is this James? You're already my trainer. You looking to be my therapist too?" Greyson scowled as he set down his boxing equipment and sauntered over to his water bottle.

"I'm asking as a friend. Look, I'm all for helping out the mammals that can't defend themselves. I encourage it," The deer explained, stretching his sore arms, "I just want to make sure you're doing this to help others and not for revenge for what happened that day."

"Does it matter what reasons I'm doing this for? If I accomplish both why does it matter?" Greyson asked, taking long swigs of his water bottle.

"It's a principle man. You gotta remember that being a hero and being a vigilante are two sides of the same coin and there's a thin line between them," The deer remarked, packing up his workout gear into his duffel bag, "I just want to you to remember why you're doing this. Is it for you? Or for the city?"

Greyson scratched the fur under his chin before offering the deer a small smile. "Your good advice river never runs dry does it James? And since when are you a vigilante expert?"

The deer shrugged. "It's what friends do." James placed a strong hand on the speedster's shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed out there ok? After all you are my favorite client." He joked, shouldering his bag and heading towards the door.

"Dick." Greyson smiled smugly and rolled his eyes, rubbing his sore shoulders and arms.

"Asshole," James replied with a wide grin, "Same time Thursday?"

"I'll be here." Greyson laughed, giving his friend a salute. The deer returned the gesture before leaving the coyote alone with his thoughts.

Greyson smiled and shook his head. Ever since high school James had been there for him. He couldn't ask for a better best friend. But the deer's words had stuck to the canine. Am I doing this for the right reasons? Greyson thought to himself as he steadied his breathing.

Of course I am. Greyson concluded, standing up to reinforce his thinking, I wouldn't be able to live this down if I didn't follow through with this. Memories came flooding back to the canine. The snow. The train. Running along the tracks, faster than he had ever gone before. The explosion…

Greyson could feel the tears building in his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away, taking another moment to steady himself. His phone buzzed from its resting place on the bench press. 12 pm… Greyson took a deep breath. Using his super speed, the coyote blasted out of the neighborhood in broad daylight, his silver frame shining in the sun. Time to get some answers.

Jack Savage stared through the one way mirror into the fluorescent lit interrogation room and sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had sat though hours of questions, waiting, followed by more questions. Hound sat in the room, his hands handcuffed to the metal table and was as silent as the cement brick around him. A gruff Ray Kamino sat across from him, shuffling through papers and asking endless questions, using tactic after tactic to try and get anything, ANYTHING out of the stoic hound.

Matthias Hound's mouth was glued shut, opening only to let out the occasional taunting yawn in the mirror's direction. Nothing could make him talk. This wasn't the first time he had been interrogated and his gut told him this wouldn't be the last. He chuckled inwardly. At least this was the first time he was ever interrogated by a british accent. Another checkmark for his interrogation bingo game.

Hound couldn't help but grin. It'll take a lot more than a couple of old MIB agents to crack me. He took a deep breath and stared at his battered reflection in the mirror. Cuts and bruises littered the canine's face around a crooked smile.

They had used every trick in the book and more. Offering him deals for information, threatening him with torture and jail time, reverse psychology. Nothing would break the silent mercenary. Jack looked up as an annoyed Ray entered the room behind the mirror, lightly slamming the door as he did.

"He's not going to talk," The white tiger stated the obvious, taking a large gulp of his coffee and stretching his back out, "I could get more information out of a brick wall."

"He's certainly not making things easy for us, his background accounts for his willpower against interrogation," the rabbit agreed, looking over the stacks of paper on their desk, "Ex-military, ZPD has a lot of records on heists he's been apart of. They've never been able to nab him..."

"Until now," Ray finished, a stern scowl rolling across the tiger's face, "It's a shame it took a vigilante to bring him in. Camelot could've done it without Quicksilver's help."

Jack raised an eyebrow at the larger mammal. "What is your problem Ray? You'd prefer we didn't have mammals like Ceartais and Quicksilver to help make this city safer?"

Ray shook his head, "Don't get me wrong Savage, I will always be grateful for what mammals like them have done for this city, and for me..." Ray closed his eyes and crossed his arms solemnly, "but if my time in the military has taught me anything, it's that mammals are capable of the best and worst this world has to offer."

"So let me ask you Jack," The tiger's tone became tense and icy, "how long before we face someone with the same abilities as our heroes? And WHEN it happens, will we be able to fight that fight?"

Jack closed his eyes in deep thought, his ears going flat against him. He opened his mouth to reply when a woosh filled the small room. Quicksilver was leaning against the wall behind the two agents, static electricity still buzzing around the coyote from his running.

"Gentle-mammals," The canine greeted with a toothy smile, "I hope you didn't start the party without me?"

"I'm almost scared to ask," Ray started, rubbing his tired eyes, "but how did you get past the key card doors?"

"Super speed comes with perks," The coyote chuckled, "guards open the doors and I slip in past em. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the aliens I saw." Ray to rolled his eyes. Jack gave the coyote a tired smile.

"Glad you could make it Quick," Jack greeted the vigilante, "You've caught us at the same progress as when we started, which is nothing. Hound hasn't said a word."

The coyote nodded, "So what do we have on this guy? What's his story?" The group turned their attention to the mercenary, still sitting across the metal table past the mirror.

"This guy's a veteran," Ray began, "Both in the military and in merc work. Backgrounds in the rangers, served a couple of tours overseas, came home, couldn't adapt to civilian life, turned to a gun for hire. ZPD has several records of different crimes he took part in across the city. This guy knows how to cover his tracks and keep his mouth shut."

"He hasn't said a word all morning," Jack added gruffly, "Our tactics haven't gotten anything out of him and I doubt that our more uh, aggressive, methods will fare any better."

"Aggressive methods?" Greyson asked, a nervous smile tugging at his lips, "What, like torture?"

"If necessary." Ray confirmed, growling slightly. Greyson gulped, sweat building above his mask. Terrifying thoughts of torture filled the canine's head and sent shivers down his spine.

"Ok any other methods we could try before… That?" Quicksilver asked, leaning against the desk in the room.

"Like what?" Ray scoffed folding muscular arms and raising an eyebrow at the smaller mammal.

"I mean…" Greyson lowered his chin while smugly raising both eyebrows, "I could talk to him, maybe, canine to canine?"

"Absolutely not!" Ray grunted, turning his attention from the interrogation room to the small silver coyote, "You're not a qualified MIB agent and, unless you have an extensive background in interrogation which I severely doubt you do, you'll have about as much luck as we've had."

"Hey you don't know, I could be the world's leading interrogator," Quicksilver boasted, earning a small chuckle from Jack and an eye-roll from Ray, "Oh c'mon muscles, what have we got to lose?"

"Jack? Back me up on this one?" The tiger pleaded, shooting a glance at the smaller MIB agent. Greyson also gave Jack a similar look, begging for Jack's approval. The rabbit sighed and shook his head.

"What harm could it do?" Jack surrendered to the pleading looks of the silver canine, much to the displeasure of Ray who sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, "You get 10 minutes with him, tops."

Quicksilver nodded gratefully. "With any luck I can get something out of him for us to use. And lemme tell you guys, I'm a pretty lucky mammal."

The door to the interrogation room swung open and in stepped the silver vigilante, a confident smirk on his face, a complete polar opposite from the scowl returned by Hound who lightly pulled at the handcuffs binding him to the table.

"Good to see you again Hound." Greyson started, smiling at the canine, "You mind if I take a seat?" Hound's only response was a dark glare into the vigilante's brown eyes.

"You know something Hound? I love burger supreme, you ever have it? It's this unbelievable burger joint downtown. I'll admit, not super classy but, it has old school charm that makes it stand out from other fast food shops." Greyson took a seat anyways, shooting the mercenary a toothy grin before continuing, "It's easily one of my favorite food places of all time and they know me by name when I'm there. And when I go I always get the same thing. My usual with a side of fries and extra fry sauce."

Hound remained silent, continuing to stare darkly at the vigilante from across the steel table, only moving on occasion to blink while listening to the coyote monologue about his favorite food place.

"Man, the boys in blue weren't kidding," Greyson pursed his lips, thinking out loud, "You're as quiet as a rock."

The two mammals sat in silence for a while, staring each other down from opposite sides of the room. Greyson rolled his thumbs around each other and tapped his foot lightly while Hound remained silent and unmoving.

Greyson broke the uneasy silence, "Look Matthias, it is Matthias right?" No response, "I thought we could talk canine to canine. I'm sure my friends have already told you about reduced sentences and all that shit for information. We're not stupid. This is way bigger than a simple arms deal, you and I both know that. Help us find whoever is in charge and I promise you'll be treated better."

Hound finally spoke, "Are you really in a position to make promises like that freak? You think that just because you have these mutations you have authority? No…" Hound chuckled, "If anything that gives you less say in matters like this. How long before your 'friends' turn on you? Expose you for the freak of nature you really are?"

"If you're saying this shit to get under my skin, you'll have to do better than that," Greyson remarked, giving the hound a toothy smirk, "It takes a lot more than that to piss me off-"

"Wasn't trying to," Hound interrupted, staring down the silver coyote, "That's just what I was told to ask when you questioned me."

From behind the one way glass, Ray and Jack gave each other a concerned look before silently turning their attention back to the interrogation room. Greyson gave the mercenary a confused look. "Who told you to say that? Your boss? The head honcho? How did he know I would be interrogating you?"

Hound simply turned his head away and closed his eyes. "We're done here."

Several more minutes of silence followed as Greyson stared down Hound who refused to return eye contact. Finally the vigilante gave up and stood up to leave, his metal chair harshly screeching against the concrete floor.

"Enjoy your running days while you can freak," Hound jeered as Greyson walked towards the door, "Those days are numbered."

Greyson shot Hound a dark glare before leaving the room, his mind trying to process the information he had revealed, or the lack of it. He opened the door to the interrogations control room to find Ray and Jack in a similar state.

"Well that was… revealing?" Greyson lightly joked, leaning his back against the door he shut behind him.

"Don't worry about the things he said Quick," Jack comforted, placing a hand on the vigilante's shoulder, "He said those things to get under your skin. He's an expert and he knew you were inexperienced in interrogation. He knew what would get under your skin."

"I'm not so sure about that…" Ray commented turning back to the glass window, "Hound has been silent all day. That was a message for us, not a snippy remark to piss you off."

"As much as I hate to do it," Greyson began, rubbing his eyes, "I have to agree with white tiger. One thing is for certain. Hound is a small part of something much larger. The sooner we find out what we're up against, the better…"

Greyson's face lit up like a lightbulb, a hopeful smile spreading across his face, "And I know just the mammal to help me find out."