"Boss, she's stable for now until her next surgery."

"Well, that's good to hear."

Adam rubbed the back of his head. "Boss, this is serious."

"Adam…h-hang in there. She'll be taken care of, I promise. It's not looking good for us. The damn Detroit police are on our case for housing one of the dogs that was at the factory the other night."

"What? How did they find out about this?"

"Adam, that monster killed several officers."

"Boss, not THIS one. Kubwa is not a-" Adam sighed, "he's not a "monster." He's a stupid mutt. Besides, he's not responsible. I saw an officer disemboweled by one of these damn "monsters" you're talking about. There are three, including Kubwa. They're from the same litter. Kubwa isn't the one you want to worry about."

"For how much longer?"

"Just…tell them they're wasting their time and energies messing with this "dog", boss. He's not a threat."

"Adam, I can't hold them off for too long, they'll come in here and take the damn dog if they want to. My word is not going to override their authority-"

"Then tell the damn police he's an experiment for your studies!"

A long silence settled in the apartment. Kubwa stared at Adam, having heard his name several times. He pricked his ears.

"All right, but you're responsible for coming up with the bullshit story as to why and how in the hell we managed to detain him."

"Boss, I'm head of security. I saw an opportunity to fight back. After all, this was on our company. It's none of their damned business what happens from this point on. We were attacked. Not them. This is our investigation."

"Right."

"What's wrong? Why are you getting upset?"

Adam glanced over his shoulder to his bedroom doorway. Megan walked out into the open, brushing her hair. She then prepared to put it in her work bun. She was in her usual dressage for her lab work. Adam growled. He stood and walked to his window seals to get his coat and pistol.

"Nothing. The damn police department is just sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. It's under control."

Megan studied Adam as he refilled his gun magazine. "Are you sure? Did you call the clinic?"

"Yeah-yeah. She's stable for now." The click of the magazine echoed in the great apartment and Adam sheathed his weapon.

"Kubwa is part of a litter?"

Adam's coat rustled and it settled on his shoulders. He shrugged his shoulders some to get comfy. "Meg, you weren't supposed to hear that part."

"Adam," Megan paced over to him, securing her hair, "I did. What do you mean? I'm just curious."

Adam turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "This isn't something you HAVE to know, "Dr." Reed. It's not a general education requirement."

Megan dropped her weight to one foot. "Adam."

Adam just stared at her through his shades. He looked away with a raspy sigh through his nose. Kubwa woofed very softly to get their attention. He was not unaware of their conversation.

"Just let me handle this. It's my affair now, Cori told me to keep him safe. He belongs to nobody."

"Except you." Megan watched Adam pass her to his room.

Adam paused in his door way. He shook his head. "Don't even."

Megan grinned. She patted her thigh. The great mutt strolled over, tail wagging. "What?"

Things moved around in the man's room.

"You know what." He reappeared. "Kubwa…c'mere."

The great white dog padded after Adam to the stairs. Adam outfitted him in his bullet proof vest. Kubwa stood in his instinctive, braced stance and Megan watched Adam from the front room floor.

"Why do you have to do that?"

"What? What am I doing?" Megan went to the couch and put on her jacket. "Adam, you're not usually so self-conscious."

"No, I'm not."

"You're thinking of something. That's all. I'm just…wondering what it is."

Adam smirked a little. "You could tell, huh?"

Megan made her way up the stairs with her bag and purse. "Yes. What do you plan on doing with him?"

Adam stood erect and set his alarm. Kubwa pressed against him, waiting for him to physically move him aside. Adam growled to himself. "I don't know why he does that."

"What?"

"He throws his weight around." Adam shoved the dog aside and took the bar to his vest. The door opened and he and the dog moved out.

"I don't know. Maybe it's part of his breeding. Some dogs have strange tendencies like that."

"Yippee."

They made their way to the elevators and Megan smacked Adam's arm yet again. She glared at him as he looked to her and they mounted the elevator.

"Try to act more honored that this is your responsibility. Stop acting so burdened."

Adam sighed and the elevator doors closed as they circled to face them. It was still showering outside. Megan put her hood on and they headed to work. Dog was on his left side, woman was on the other. Kubwa was alert and a sight to behold by most bystanders that passed him. If Megan didn't know any better she could have sworn Adam was occupying two different bodies at the same time.

"Adam?"

"Hm?" Adam looked to Megan, reading her life signs and such under his shades.

"You aren't communicating to him are you?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Well…ugh…never mind. I'm just being silly."

"Not that I was aware of, I don't believe. I do know, however, what you are talking about. I don't know how the hell he does it, but he does read and follow me awfully close. It's actually making me uneasy."

"Why? Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

The trio crossed the street to the two towers to Sarif industries, once more shrouded in the clouds above. Adam held the doors open for Megan and Kubwa waited beside him.

"See you for lunch, Adam." Megan kissed his cheek and stooped to kiss the dog on his face before she hurried away to the elevator.

"Oh, dear God. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going to put that poor dog to work soon."

Adam turned to his left to see Pritchard watching him with his hands in his pockets. Adam said nothing for a short while.

"He'll be of use to me. Shouldn't you be working, now, Pritchard? I could have the dog assist you back to your office."

"No, Jensen, I think I'll manage, considering I am on my official break right now. I was just going to the soda machine. Good luck with the dog."

Adam composed his irritability with the man. Pritchard walked by and Kubwa glanced up at Adam. He groaned at the man.

"Oh, how I would like to give him a piece of my mind sometime." Adam headed to his office. He figured out how to stuff the bar into itself on the vest so the dog couldn't get hung up on something, allowing him to spread out on his floor while he made some phone calls.

"Ah, hello. We meet again. Any news?"

Adam sat back in his chair, and folded one of his legs over the other. "Nothing too serious. The police department is aware of the presence of your pets. That's pretty much all they are about them."

"Good work. Any sightings of my employee?"

Adam shifted. "No, I'm sorry to say. She is damn good at evading detection, if I do say so myself."

"Well, you try. That's all that matters. She is very good at that. Well, as promised, you can come and pick up your 6500 credits from one of my boys. He'll be off site."

"Is this the official play?"

"Yes, just for safety reasons. I have many matters to attend to. You understand, right?"

"All part of the job."

"The coordinates are on their way to your location. Have a very nice day."

The coordinates registered with the augmented man. Kubwa sat up suddenly, looking about. Adam stood to find the dog looking rather alarmed.

"Kubwa."

Kubwa looked at Adam. His intelligent eyes seemed to be processing something.

"Boss, can I ask a favor?" Adam tilted his head away making a gesture and Kubwa stood on his feet.

"Yeah, I'm free.

"Not to be an ass, but can you watch the mutt again? I'll be quick, I promise."

"Adam…"

"Thanks, Boss." Adam chuckled and a black hand patted the dog's head. "Let's go fuzzball. You are fuzzy, you know that? Never seen a damn fuzzier dog."

The beast's growl quivered through Adam's thigh when the dog pressed into him on his way to the elevator.

"You best be good. Just lie down and be still."

Adam and Canon Characters© Square Enix

Original Characters© FatWithFuzz