Her nerves were frayed after a five-hour flight in a blood-stained pilot seat. The landing could have been better too, but after only ten hours in a sim a bent tail rotor didn't seem all that bad. If the flight seemed long, the walk to Julian's office was an eternity. Jake despite his condition was tagging along at her side, his head held a little lower than normal. He knew what was coming too.

"You don't need to be here for this," Fiona told him.

"Like hell I don't. You saved my ass today. I'll be damned if am no there to save yours."

"I am a sinking ship, Jake. No need to go down with me."

"I'll take my chances, boss." He replied curtly.

Fiona smiled despite the grim circumstances. She never anticipated making a friend in her line of work, but there was no other word for a man who was willing to risk his life when he could just walk away.

The guards posted at the door to the helipad stepped out of the way without so much as a word. The fox's velvet red tail was all the identification they needed. The guards may have seen her as nothing more than a pet, but she could never help but laugh at the leash they were attached to. Fiona could go anywhere and do anything, but they had to watch a door day in and day out.

The building was smack dab in the middle of capital city and Julian office sat in the pent house over looking the busiest downtown district. It was high profile for someone who ran the country, but he didn't like to be far away from the action. So much of his work was carried out in the cities infrastructure.

It was too late in the evening for his receptionist to be there. The entire place was empty. The two of them let themselves in and took a seat. They had learned the drill long ago. Fiona sat there in silence knowing that every breath she took could very well be her last. It was five minutes before the door behind them opened again and the two agents promptly stood up, "Sir," They said in unison.

The bald man walked around behind his desk, stopping at the window to stare out into the busy streets bellow. Break lights glowed a dark red admits the gradually darkening purple sky. An orange mustache poked out from both sides of the man's oblong head reminding them what color his hair would have been if he where to have any.

"So," he began his deep raspy voice. "Why don't I have the girl?"

It was a rhetorical question. Julian knew the answer, but he wanted one of them to say it anyway.

"I underestimated him again, sir," Fiona said plainly.

"And how many times does that make this?"

She wasn't sure, so she didn't answer.

"We were able to pull ten of your men out of the wreckage. I wouldn't count on their continued assistance for quite some time though," Julian said as he turned around tossing a small device on his desk. Fiona had seen this coming.

As the politician sat down in his chair it was easy to see how he had gotten elected. His stature was stern and he carried himself proudly. He was a man of the people, but most rarely ever saw through his veil of lies. What he appeared to be was only skin deep, but any good politician knew that's all that mattered.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked looking down at the small remote that sat between the three of them.

Fiona nodded without so much as a hint of distress in her eyes. She would never forget that little box. She had never shown that man one ounce of fear in her life and today would not be the day.

"I put that in a drawer four years ago and almost forgot about it. That was until today. You, Fiona, have brought me closer to realizing my dream than any human. Ironic, isn't it?"

"No, Sir," she responded.

His vision narrowed as he raised his bushy eyebrows, stretching out his subtly puffy red cheeks, "and why not?"

"It would only be ironic if you thought none of this could have happened without me. Admitting that would mean…"

"Admitting that I have been wrong about you and your kind. Yes, yes it would. But surly you can still see the humor."

The humor, she laughed inside her head. Nothing I have done for the last five years of my life has ever been funny. But she nodded in agreement anyway.

"Do you know why I got this out today?"

"Because I fuc… screwed up." Fiona said correcting herself. Julian had a distinct distaste for fowl language. He was a politician and words could be as much his enemy as a savior.

"Hardly," he responded as he leaned back in his chair twirling the device in his hands. "You have made your fair share of mistakes before. How many times has Miles gotten away?"

She still didn't know the answer, so she stayed quiet.

"But that's not what this is about. I was never able to catch him, I hardly expected you to. This has always been about finding the best person for the job. You told me that you could be the best and you proved it. Captain?" Julian asked turning to Jake.

Her partners muscles tightened as Kintobor's gaze shifted to him, "Yes, Sir?"

"Go ahead and take this," Julian said as he handed the agent the remote.

Jake didn't hesitate, but the weight of the situation shown clearly in his eyes. It may not have been obvious to anyone, but Fiona was on the verge of tears. Julian was a sick man and she didn't put him asking Jake to murder her past him.

"Do you remember when I called you in here the first time?"

"Of course," her partner responded now carefully palming the device.

"What did you say to me when I showed you your new C.O?"

"I thought you were kidding, Sir. That it was a joke."

"I believe your words were 'you're fuck'n kidding me' right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Strong words for a strong man in a weak position. What else did you say captain?"

"That I could do better,"

"Better than what?"

Fiona remembered rather vividly what her partner had said. Hardly a day went by where his words didn't echo inside her head. Not that she held it against him, why should he have been excited to work with her.

"Better than some piece of shit Mobian cunt, Sir."

"And what about now, do you still think that?"

Julian was a master of cornering people with their own words, shoving them back down their throats in such a smug way. His opponents never stood a chance in any of the elections. If Jake admitted that a Mobian was better than him now it would set his career back years. If he said yes, then what use was Fiona?

Her partner struggled for a moment, not with the words but rather the consequences of them.

"No, Sir," he finally admitted as he set the device back down on the desk.

"No captain, I want you to hold on to that. When the day comes and you decide you can do better… well I think you know what to do."

Jake stared at the man as he picked the remote back up. "She saved my life twice today, Sir."

"Would your life have needed saving if you were in command?"

There was the question that everyone already knew the answer to. Fiona tensed up as she waited for her partner to answer.

"Sir, that's impossible to say for sure. For starters I wouldn't have even found Miles or the girl, so I would have never had a chance to need saving. If you're asking me if I would have done things differently, the answer is yes, but she knows Miles better than anyone. That fox has nearly killed me three times, so I don't pretend to be better."

"I am not asking you to pretend Captain. I am asking are you better?"

"No," Jake replied bluntly.

"Then get out of my office!"

Her partner picked up his helmet and left the room without so much as a deep breath or a rolling of the eyes. Julian did go harder on him, but that may have been because he expected more from a human.

Kintobor waited until the door was shut before he continued, "I won't quite ever understand what you did to him."

"I trusted him," Fiona replied bluntly.

"Amazing how far it can take you, isn't it?" the man said before pausing. "Do you trust me?"

"You have held up your end of the bargain. I am still here breathing so I have never had a reason not to."

A knock came at the door and a shorter man stepped in. Julian's nephew was equally zealous but twice as obnoxious.

"What is that thing doing in here?" the long nosed man asked. Despite being relatives a resemblance could hardly be found between the two. "How man times have I told you. If the media catches you with your pet they will string you up by your balls."

"Do you see the media anywhere Colin?" Julian asked calmly.

"No but…"

"Who does the media report to Colin?"

"You but…"

"So tell me Colin, do I have anything to worry about?"

The short man did not respond. Another person had fallen victim to their own words and cock sure attitude.

"That's what I thought," Kintobor said to his unnaturally scrawny publicist before turning back to Fiona. "I think it goes without saying that you should try harder not to disappoint me when so much is on the line. All your partner has to do now is press a button and he has your job."

Fiona acknowledged the sentiment with a short tip of her head.

"Wait for me outside, there is something I would like to show you. But first I have to deal with this clown. I am quite sure he doesn't have much to say though."

I would like to show you something, she thought. My least favorite words. Nothing good has ever followed them. I wonder who wandered into his grasp this time. Some poor Mobian no doubt and now I have to go throw the switch on another one of Julian creations just to see what it will do.

She headed for the door and even before she reached the handle Julian started in on Colin.

"Let me be clear, you may be my nephew, but if you ever mention my balls again I will run yours through a cheese grater until you have decidedly less of them!"

The screaming muffled as the entrance to Kintobor's office shut behind her. Jake was standing in the reception area eying the small remote in his hand.

"Hey boss," he said quietly.

"Thanks," Fiona said even quieter.

"For what?"

"For not selling me out."

"Was nothing to sell. I owe you a lot."

Fiona forced a smile as she glanced down at the device her partner was holding.

"Don't worry," he said seeing her eye it. "I won't be the one to press it."

"Until he tells you to."

"He wouldn't."

"Of course he would. This is Julian we are talking about."

"I… I still don't think I would."

"Don't lie to yourself. You know what the other choices are."

"Would you if it was me?" Jake asked curiously.

Fiona went to reply but found her tongue tied on the words, "I… I don't know."

The door opened at Colin stepped out, lifting his nose in disgust at the vixen. She would love to have smacked the smug look of his face, but she didn't need to provoke anyone else today.

"I don't understand why he keeps little pieces of shit like you lying around." The short man remarked as he strode by.

"I could say the same about you," She replied without meeting his gaze.

"Do you know who you are talking to?"

"Some whiney little bitch," Fiona replied with a big grin on her face.

"I'll have you…"

"What? Killed? Tortured? Go ahead. Go tell Kintobor you want to kill his favorite pet. He is right in there." Fiona said as she pointed back toward the office door.

Colin said nothing and instead locked eyes with the fox who was barely than he was. He made a move to strike her with the back of his hand, but Jake caught him.

"She hits harder than you do," her partner said still holding the man's wrist. "I don't think you want to start a fight you're going to regret."

Colin tugged his arm away and continued on his way back down the hall without another word.

Julian entered the hall nodding to the two of them. They both followed the rotund man down the hall and into an elevator. Without his sport coat on it was easy to see that his suspenders where being stretched to their limit. Yet his roundness never seemed to detract from his mystique that pulled people into his command. Even Fiona had been taken back by the man's candor. He was ruthless, but never with his demeanor or words.

Nothing was said on their ride into the subbasements bellow the building. People may have bustled around on the visible floors of the building taking care of the duties of his administration, it was bellow street level where what Julian saw as true progress was being made. They stepped out into the cool glow of the florescent lighting and continued to follow the man.

"While you two have been tracking down the solution to our problems, it seems our scientist have made some progress of their own."

A glass lab door slid to the side and the trio walked in. Scientist bustled around at all hours making calculations, mixing strange concoctions and talking to themselves in shallow whispers as if no one could hear them. Fiona had convinced herself that all evil in the world came from here and she knew that Jake did not feel too differently. The two agents wore emotionless faces, but already the grim work that had been underway began to present itself.

Bodies from Mobians, and even a human or two lay on metal slabs covered in blood stained white sheets. Metal limbs dangled from beneath the linen, reflecting a distorted view of the world on their oxidized metal surface.

"As it turns out, the inhibitor is only a small piece of the process. There is also another factor that we failed to consider. We have always assumed the subjects should be anesthetized for this to be most effective, but as it turns out this removes one of the most important components of success. A beings will to live can, apparently, allow patients to live through the entire process," Julian said as they walked through a much thicker steal door.

Fiona cringed at the notion. What Kintobor just described would have, in his eyes, made her a perfect candidate for roboticization. She never saw a difference between that and dying, especially up until now when the result was always the same. What lay in a cage before them however, was in fact a living Mobian robot. It was a feeble thing, clunking around without purpose or grace.

"This was the first success. Scientist found that because he was awake his adrenals spiked boosting his body's own ability to adapt faster. The subjects in the next room we pumped full of epinephrine and had significantly better results. I can only imagine the perfection that will be achieved once we get our hands on the inhibitor. Would you like to see one made?" Julian asked.

Neither of the agents wanted to see tests where the subjects were alive and awake. It was never pleasant, but Julian's question was not really an offer but rather an order. The two looked on as a fresh subject was wheeled into the room. It was a young raccoon with fear-laden eyes. He clawed madly at the steel cage, cursing everyone before he was subdued with cattle prods.

The scientist worked as if the three of them were not there, mindless loading their subject into a glass tube before his strength returned. What followed was gut wrenching, but Fiona had already learned to suppress her gag reflex. The raccoon turned near inside out as it's innards were woven into metal, wiring and circuitry. His screams grew loader and more crazed until they stopped abruptly as he drew his last breath. A red glow replaced his once shimmering black eyes and the flailing stopped. The creature stared blankly out at them seemingly devoid of a conscious.

"It's a mixed bag really," Kintobor went on. "There is no way to predict their mental state when they come out of it. Some are feral, others are worthless husks like the one you saw earlier. They don't seem to accept any type of a rudimentary programming, but this still a huge step forward, making the inhibitor all the more important."

Fiona approached the motionless robot. It's eyes followed her, but it made no additional movements of any kind. This has to be worse than dying. She tapped on the plexiglas, but still the creature remained still.

"And what do you do with them now?" Fiona asked doing her best to seemed interested.

"Tests. There is still a lot of variables that may give us more insight. Now if you two would be so kind as to help me."

Kintobor was not someone who asked for help, so Fiona already knew that whatever came next was going to be worse. The large man walked up to another secured door and placed his palm on the panel next to it. The lock disengaged and he motioned the two of them through, "After you."

Fiona let Jake step through first. The room was completely dark and when she turned back to look for a switch, the door snapped shut behind them with Julian still on the other side.

"Son of bitch," she sighed.

Something in the corner of the room rattled as it skittered quickly across the floor.

"What was that?" Jake asked as he drew his weapon.

"Well he did say some of them were feral right?"

"Yeah, but wouldn't he have those locked up somewhere?"

Fiona eyed her partner, "Yeah, in here. He tests everything, and today that includes us."

The two of them reached for their flashlights while they were slowly circled by glowing ruby colored eyes. When a beam caught an oversized wolf it shrieked and shied away behind a crate.

"Not a fan of light are they?" Jake remarked as he looked down at the remnants of a florescent glass bulb underneath his boot.

A quick set of metallic footsteps approached loudly from behind her and before Fiona could even turn her gun cold hands were wrapped around her body dragging her to the ground. She tumbled with creature, trying to pry its impossibly strong grip off of her, but it only tightened. She threw an elbow only to have the joint ignite in pain as it found the creatures metal frame. It let go and retreated into the darkness after a loud crack from Jake's Sig echoed about the room. What ever it may have been was far from dead.

"Did you hit it?" Fiona asked as she frantically got back to her feet.

"Yeah, but I don't think it did anything."

More footsteps echoed behind Jake and he turned and emptied his clip. The bullets ricochet off the wolf's thick hide bouncing mercilessly around the room. The bot drove it's shoulder into Jake's midsection bringing him to the ground. Fiona casually walked up to the creature as it slashed at the armor on her partner's chest. She left little room for error when she placed the barrel of her Desert Eagle on the wolf's skull and pulled the trigger. It collapsed lifeless onto Jake as its head exploded in a shower of sparks.

"I always told you bigger was better," Fiona said as she helped remove the steel carcass from her partner.

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

More footsteps clanked in the shadows and the two spun their lights around trying to catch a glimpse of their enemies. "How many of these things are there?" her partner asked.

"Can't see a damn thing, it's hard to tell."

Their enemies had reserved themselves to the shadows waiting for their prey to make mistake.

"Screw this," Jake said as he holstered his pistol. "You want me?" he yelled as he smashed a fist against his battered armor, "Come get me."

A mangy lynx obliged as it bound at him, lowering it's shoulder just like the wolf. Jake charged back close lining his smaller opponent. He was on top of the bot in no time, leaping onto its chest, sinking his combat boots into the lynx steel armor. With a strong kick to its jaw he dislodged it's head entirely sending it skidding across the floor.

Fiona had problems of her own as a rabbit joined the fray. It lunged at her with a strong right cross and bounced backwards immediately after she dodged it. She raised her weapon to fire, but her opponent was quick. Her first shot found the darkness while the next did little more than glance off.

"Oh yeah, how is the big one treating you now boss?" Jake laughed as he struggled to remove a rabid vole from his back.

Without so much as looking she fired a shot in his direction and waited for the inevitable clank of rodent hitting the ground.

"Show off," her partner muttered.

"Just keep an eye out for the rab…"

A closed steel fist caught her squared in the jaw and knocked her weapon right out of her hand. She frantically searched the darkness with her flashlight for her gun, but it was gone. Amidst her desperate search another blow sent her to all fours. She could feel a pool of blood in her mouth. This time a large foot found her abdomen and she collapsed on the floor recoiling in pain as she balled up to protect herself from another blow.

A bang echoed on the room and Fiona opened her eyes in time to see the rabbit's corpse hit the ground next to her. Only one lifeless eye stared back at her and where the other would have been, exposed circuitry sparked as it short-circuited.

A steel plated hand pulled her back to her feet and held her until she found her balance.

"Thinks that's all of 'em, boss," Jake said as he held out her gun.

Fiona returned the pistol to her holster and felt around inside her mouth for any missing teeth.

"I suppose we deserved that," Fiona admitted.

"Could have been worse."

The door slid open again as Kintobor's silhouette stood in the doorway awaiting their return.

The two agents strode back into the lab keeping their mouths shut. It was obvious he wanted to make a point.

"So, how were they?"

"Annoying," Jake said finally noticing he claw marks on his armor. "They may hit like a sack of bricks but they aren't much brighter than one either.

"They were blind with rage," Fiona added. "Ruthless, but stupid."

"Nothing the two of you couldn't handle I see. It's good to know there are not any suitable replacements for you yet."

Fiona spat a large helping of blood on the ground, staining the stark white linoleum floor. "Nope, keep looking," the fox replied as she moved past the fat man back towards the elevator.


Review Appreciated.