Adam's gear was removed and a nurse stood checking his heart rate with a stethoscope. Adam's shades were retracted and he stared at the wall, fondling the dog's tongue while Kubwa licked his left hand. Megan stood on his right side, behind the nurse.

The nurse pulled away and shook her head. "He is quite alright, now. It's a big difference from a few minutes ago. Something just caused him to get lethargic. I don't know what. There is a bug going around of late, though. It just might have been one of those. It's a nasty-nasty thing. He needs rest. His readings show some stress."

David nodded at the nurse as she left the room. He moved over to Adam, arms folded under his dark blue wool coat. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I saw a ghost."

Megan stepped forward and sat down in the chair next to Adam's bed. "I can watch him, David."

Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose with a dreadful groan. "Megan, you've had enough of my episodes, you shouldn't have to-"

"Hush. I'm going to do it whether you like it or not. This is serious."

"Rayne knows already without a doubt. I need to figure something out. Boss, make sure Cori has extra protection."

"Go home. Rest. If I find out your being bull headed, I'll do more than bitch at you."

"Right, boss." Adam twisted himself about. He planted his legs on the floor and took his sweater from Megan. He shoved it on in silence.

"You can walk, right?" Megan helped him to stand.

"Yeah. Kubwa."

Kubwa came about, ears pricked. His blue eyes glared the man. He grunted in question and Adam cupped a hand under his bottom jaw, searching for the torn flesh on the dog. He found a few places and Kubwa kindly growled at him in warning once he touched him.

"Easy, I'm just curious. Megan can you make sure his wounds are clean?"

"Yes." She attached the lead rope to the dog.

"Terri, carry my gear and get it to my place."

"Right boss." The security officer hoisted the body vest onto his shoulder and followed after his supervisor.

The rain had receded. It was a light shower to soothe the heat in the air. Adam could still feel it all over, even though he had been sopping wet before. He still was in places. A shower would have to be accomplished at some point, but today he needed sleep. He looked about, hand in his pocket, the other occupied with Kubwa's lead rope.

Everything was gray, misty. It was peaceful. The cars tread by, sloshing water, stopping and going slowly. Kubwa seemed to blend in with the mist. His ruffled white coat flexed with his muscles. One augmented arm was not enough to hold this beast at bay, even in a walk. The dog could yank his arm clean off if he decided to take off.

"I'm starving."

"Wanna stop someplace?"

Adam thought for a moment. "Yeah, actually. I think we're safe for a while."

"We should be. That beating I gave Bowser was a little bit too quick. Whatever happened to him before had messed him up pretty bad."

"I had to get out of there alive. They were on a mission."

"He'll think twice before he messes with you. He knows I'm with you now. However, now he knows that Cori is unarmed."

"Tacos."

Megan looked at Adam. Her giggle comforted him. "Elvira's Taco palace? That place is like a mall!"

"At this time of day, it's empty. Nobody wants tacos for some reason."

"It'll be good for Kubwa and you to relax."

Cori slipped out of her bed covers and went to the window of her hospital room. It was a painful trip to the seal, but she propped herself up in the deep window. Her right arm illuminated with blue cracks under the skin and she flexed it. The blue veins exploded with blue energy, racing into her knuckles. She grinned. She felt great. The recovery wouldn't be too much longer. She wanted out. Rayne kept her cooped up.

Cori looked out the window. She hugged herself, adjusting her kinky, deep hood. The hospital food was despicable, the nurses were always in a hurry and nobody seemed to leave her alone. She didn't want to be touched all the time. This was first time she hadn't been restrained to her own hospital bed, confined in a room, alone, until her next surgery. It brought back agitating memories she cared not to have in her brain anymore. The sooner, the better. She had things to do, people to see. Chaos to wreak upon those who had summoned it.

"This taco salad is fantastic."

"Adam, for one, you're eating like a horse. Two, you're starving and you've been half dead for a good hour, now. I would think it would be the best thing you've ever had."

Kubwa had downed two giant taco salads and he was on the third one. They were each on their own massive plates. The dog snorted and snuffed noisily while he ate. Megan shook her head. She was surrounded by pigs, yet again. The dog and Adam were the worst one's yet! She felt at ease in the warm colors of the Mexican restaurant. Adam's word was honored. There was nobody else in the restaurant. She didn't even have to explain herself to the employees about her giant dog. They were very liberal about service animals. In a way, the dog was a service to Adam. Not in the tradition one might think of.

Kubwa licked each plate in anxiety. Like a dishwasher, the dog was thorough. He licked his jowls and stared outside. They were right against the windows. Kubwa was restless in the back of the restaurant rather than the front. The dog sat back on his loins. Megan scooted her chair forward and observed the dog's injuries from behind. She held him still, parting fur. Kubwa stood up, bumping into her legs. He moved over to Adam and stood, now. The man had his legs crossed, looking outside. His plate had been cleared as well.

"Can I get you another drink?"

"Mountain Dew." Adam handed his glass to the young woman and she dipped her head.

"Rayne wants me back. More than Cori."

"Why?" Adam shifted in his chair.

"I don't know. For once, I don't know." Kubwa's tail uncurled until it was straight, draping behind him.

"Sir, the police department wants to speak to you."

"Son of a bitch." Sarif took the phone from Terri. "Sarif." After a good while Sarif twisted away, hand in his hair. "What the fuck does this have to do with my people? Who said it was them…really…you've got a lot of nerve bringing this to me." He paced a long while in silence, listening. Sarif chucked the cordless phone at Terri, who caught it and watched Sarif storm away.

"This ain't good, boys." Terri turned to the other security officers who strolled up from the elevator on Sarif's floor. "Something bad's gone wrong. Sarif's pissed."

Megan layered Adam with one more blanket. She rubbed his back and she switched the phone to her other ear. "He's asleep. He just collapsed when I got him home. Kubwa is here by the bed…what do you mean they have cause…how, there are three of them! It could have been any one of them…no, I don't. That is what he's trying to do. You've really got to try to please people more…well, I'm sorry. Nobody said he had to show up to watch us handle him…he can't…no, he can't-he…David, he'd injure or hurt someone before he went…"

Kubwa lifted his head. He pricked his ears.

"They're going to send the Swat after him. They wanted me to tell my security to sedate him. That would be better."

"David, they don't know that he's too smart to be tranquilized."

"Megan…turn on the news. The damn people of the city saw some of what happened today."

Kubwa got up, fumbling after Megan to Adam's giant screen. He paused beside her.

"Witnesses say these monsters have been driving them from their places of communion, work, and homes. Footage was caught with a smart phone of one in pursuit of a civilian we are unable to identify. Sarif industries-" The SI towers were panned to on the screen in the fog, "is thought to be responsible for one of these animals on the streets. Authorities plan to confiscate the animal as soon as possible. The company has already been warned of their schedule. The animals are deemed dangerous and they have killed several civilians already."

Megan's thumb found the End Call button and she sidestepped into the great animal.

"K-Kubwa? Oh, no. What are you doing out here? I don't know what to do. This isn't right." The woman hesitated on whether to wake Adam up or not.

The footage of the scene where Kubwa had battled his brother flashed on the screen. The camera panned into the giant paw prints in the muddy banks of the pond and the blood-stained water. The dog bristled with anger. It was cutting too damn close now. The police could not have him. His brothers, but not him. Nobody could have them, except Rayne. They could not be confined by people. They were too powerful. Unless they wanted to be.

"Cori's not going to like this at all. Adam!"

After a negotiation of sleep was made, the man came out of his room to find Megan on the floor and Kubwa skipping away from her. The dog froze when Adam locked eyes with him.

Megan stood and wiped herself off. "He won't let me look at his wounds. They could get an infection. He's being bull headed. Like you."

Adam stood silently in his jade green sweater, watching the dog watch him. Each being knew what was about to happen.

"Kubwa."

"No! Leave me alone! I can take care of myself!"

"We'll give you a bath." Adam walked out from around the back of the couch.

Kubwa paced back towards the tv, head down, tail dropped. The dog was exhibiting some rather foreboding behavior that he never had issued with him or the woman. Possessing wounds was different than not wanting a bath. It was different in the way of dangerous.

"Kubwa, we just want to help you."

"Woman, this is something you don't help with. You neither, Adam," the dog growled. "Stay away from me."

Adam paused. "What did I say about being under my rules?"

"I'm an animal, Adam, I can take care of myself."

"You're not wild, you're a pet." Adam approached the dog that shied back into the television. "You cannot take care of yourself the way you think. You don't have to."

"Adam, I don't like this. He's not acting right."