Fiona wasn't sure what to expect. She found herself sitting on the other side of Julian's desk, her thoughts running wild with what might happen next. Sure she had been in the seat at least a hundred times, but never under such odd circumstances. In the past the fox had always done as she was told and rarely took matters into her own hands, especially when that concerned Kintobor's enemies, of which there was not shortage of.

The slap of the paper hitting the desk brought her back into the present, where a large man loomed over her from the other side of his desk.

"On most day's I know what's going to be in that," he spat, but not angrily. "Hell, I write half of it sometimes."

Fiona looked back at him, now even more nervous.

"How many times have I told you I don't like surprises? Do you know what kind of mess this creates for me?"

This was normal, the berating would be followed by more anger and then acceptance. It was part of his ego that he had to seem in charge and in control of the situation. The only part that concerned her was how and if he would accept what they had done. Jake was still waiting his turn outside, no doubt slightly more afraid now that Julian's tirade was becoming even louder.

"Honestly, did you think the city wouldn't notice its most famous crime lord was missing? Or perhaps you thought that it was a good idea for a half dozen of his thugs to turn up dead in your apartment? Do you have any idea how this looks?! What kind of position this puts me in?"

The vixen smiled, she knew how to play his game, "A good one I suspect?"

Kintobor's face contorted as the wrinkles scrunched up so tight she thought they might have been permanent fixtures on his face. However, with a deep breath they all disappeared as he started chuckling.

"I forget sometimes that you are nearly as twisted as I am in your own way."

Fiona wasn't sure if that was meant to be a compliment, but her insides started to turn with the notion of its possible truth. The idea of having something in common with the most horrifying person she ever had the misfortune of meeting was beyond disconcerting, bordering on disgusting.

"What did you do with him?" Julian finally asked bluntly.

The fox got to smile again, this time even bigger, "If I told you wouldn't that make things worse for you? Do you want to be an accessory?"

"Can you at least tell me if he suffered?"

With her grin even larger now, she knew there must have been far too much truth in his statement. What kind of person can be happy while answering a question like this? Although all the possible answers didn't bother her as much as she would have expected.

"He didn't have a lot to say, but I promise you he was not very quiet."

The rotund man's skin shook like jelly as he laughed himself into a coughing fit. After a few moments he found his composure, "Don't think you are off the hook for this. You can't just go making people disappear, no matter how much I hate them. There was still a lot of value left in him."

"He showed up to my home with every intention of killing me," Fiona reminded him. "He made it personal."

"I warned you that you needed to watch your back."

"You never mentioned anything about Ixis though."

Julian shrugged his large shoulders as if those particular details didn't matter.

"I told you what you needed to know, nothing more, nothing less."

"Just like you have told me everything about the inhibitor?"

Kintobor's eyes narrowed quickly. He didn't appreciate the subject being changed on him, but Fiona knew that this might be her only chance to squeeze him for more information on what exactly his plan was. The more she knew, the more she could prepare.

"And what might you need to know about that?"

"You want me to turn up this girl? I need to know how she is connected to all of this aside from the fact that she was unlucky enough to have parents that helped design it."

The cogs were clearly turning in the man's head as he leaned back in his chair, weighing his options.

"Tell me," he started, "what exactly do you know about it?"

"Only that it is the key roboticization, a protein that allows you complete the process with near perfect precision."

"So you do read everything I give you?" Julian responded now slightly more amused. "And how do you hide the genetic construct of a protein?"

"On a disk, a hard drive, perhaps even a drawing."

"All are options," Kintobor admitted as he typed away at his terminal. "But none are as good as this one," he said as turned the monitor so the fox could read it.

Fiona's jaw seemed to come unhinged as she read the full contents of a file that she had long considered permanently redacted.

"I thought this file was too corrupted to read?"

"The funny thing about persistence is the results you can get through employing it. Four years ago all I had were four tiny little words and a name. Now I have this. Is this what you wanted to know? Will this help you find her?"

The vixen nodded as she struggled to take everything in, taking a mental picture of the words on the screen.

"Then stop wasting my time and get out of here," he barked. "Oh and I assume you have something nicer than that to wear if need be?"

Fiona looked back startled by his request, "What's the occasion?"

"Now that Naugus is out of the way I think I can safely entertain some of his guest. I am having a gala tonight where I will be announcing Roboticization to the world. I would appreciate you taking the lead on security. If his people don't want revenge, you can be sure the Freedom Fighters won't waste a chance to put another bullet in my ass."

The fox nodded as she left the room. Nothing he said was a suggestion, or even a request but rather an order in disguise. No doubt getting rid of Ixis had made something easier for Julian, but what she still couldn't be sure of.

"Your turn," Fiona said with a big grin on her face as she strode past Jake. It was almost a joke between them, not that they would ever let Kintobor in on it. She had better things to do than wait around for her partner. Fiona had to be sure of something before she went and did anything too brash. The words of the document Julian had shown where still floating in front of her.

In some ways everything just got easier, but the prospect of handing Mara over to Julian weighed heavily on the fox. Her days were numbered, she knew that from the beginning, but once he had the girl, would he need her anymore. He would raise up an army of metallic slaves to finish off what was left of the resistance and at best the vixen could live out the rest of her life alone knowing that she had been nothing more than a traitor and coward. It felt as if she had been staring down some dark expanse her entire life, but for the first time there was small shimmer of light in the distance, so feint it was easy to lose sight of.

Colin edged his way into the elevator before the doors could close. Lifting his nose high he preceded to divert his gaze.

"Don't you get bored of pretending you're better than everyone else?" Fiona asked.

The small smug look that existed disappeared and Fiona laughed as she saw his face contort in the reflection of the elevator doors.

"You are dead," he replied plainly. "Maybe not today, but after tonight you will be useless. You will wither away while we kill what's left of your kind."

"Dead? Me? I don't think so."

"Tell me, Fiona, do you plan to live for ever? Perhaps that explaining what Julian see's in you? Will be you be joining him in his merged state?"

The shock must of have been plain on the fox's face. The short man quickly tried to retract his statement, knowing he had said too much.

"So that's what tonight is about?" as things started to make more sense. "Julian is going to make himself immortal with his new machine. How clever and unoriginal."

"You lack the insight to see the greater picture."

The vixen raised an eyebrow, surprised again that Colin was foolish enough to concede that there was more.

"Bigger than immortality?" she asked as she locked eyes with him, imposing her aggressive stature upon him.

As the human who was only a few inches taller than the thin cut fox backed into the corner he made the mistake of reaching for a pistol hidden beneath his jacket. Colin hardly ever concerned himself with how good Fiona was at what she did. In the blink of an eye the weapon his missing from his hands as it skidded across the marble floor of the elevator. He wanted to move, but couldn't help but look cross eyed down the barrel of the vixen's much larger gun.

"Mines a little bigger, wouldn't you agree?" she asked as she pressed the cold steel of her Desert Eagle's barrel against the bridge of his nose.

He nodded with what little room she spared him. The lift slowed as a tone played on the speaker. When the doors opened a pair of scientist looked on at the scene playing out before them. With out tearing her gaze away from Colin, Fiona razed her free hand and shoed the lab rats away, "get the next one boys."

When they were alone again she continued, "Do you still think you are better than me, Snively?"

He hated that name, but the squirming that usually arose when she said it didn't appear. The man was frozen with fear.

"I didn't hear you?"

He shook his head this time.

"The funny thing is when I get off this elevator it could be stained red with what ever is inside your skull and no one would care. You might think I am dead, but you have had on foot in the grave since you moved here to work for your uncle. You are so pathetic that you can't even be seen in his shadow. I command more of his respect than you ever have, so maybe you should think about who you're calling dead."

The vixen lowered her weapon as the doors opened again to the lower levels. Colin collapsed to the floor hyperventilating as he struggled to cope with this new experience. Whether it was her words or being so close to death, it only confirmed what she already knew about him. The man was weak.

She turned around to look down at him with pity as the doors closed, not even giving him the gratitude of the smile she normally mockingly bestowed upon him. He had reached a new low in her book.

The girl she had turned to find working away at her lab station however, now commanded even more of her respect. If she knew what Julian knew there is no way she would be risking her life, but the fact that she remained she was still here.

"Sarah," the vixen called out, startling the girl as she sat typing experiments observations at her terminal.

"Fiona," she replied with some hesitation, "how are you?"

The fox tugged at her collar, doing her best to subtly remind the human of her unchanging predicament.

"Right, sorry," the girl apologized.

"Don't pity me," Fiona snapped back, doing her best to suppress the bite that was in her voice. The girl still cowered in the fox's presence. Sighing, Fiona continued, "I know you didn't mean it like that. Forgive me I am always on edge."

"Do you need something?" the timid girl asked.

"That depends Mara, do you trust me?"

Fiona couldn't help but laugh as the girl fell over backwards in her chair.

"You would do a little better not to act so surprised when someone accuses you of being someone you are not supposed to be."

Still searching for a way out, the girl retreated underneath her desk.

"Mara," Fiona said softly, "Do you honestly think I didn't know it was you the day Jake introduced me to you?"

She poked her head out and looked up into the fox's big sky blue eyes.

"Jake is about to come down here and invite you to a dance," Fiona continued. "I was hoping you could help me find something to wear tonight."

The girl looked more confused than ever, "Then why scare me? Why tell me that you know who I am?"

The vixen smiled as she picked up a nearby syringe, "That would be for this part."

As gently as the fox could manage, she stuck the pointy end of the needle into the girls arm and drew a small amount of blood. Fiona had always known the girl was smart, but she put things together much quicker than she had anticipated.

"How could I have been so blind?" the girl almost began to cry. "I have spent hours trying to synthesize something that has been inside of me all along. It must have been the only way for my parents to hide the inhibitor…"

Fiona reached a hand down and pulled the girl to her feet. After she was standing the fox put the vile of blood in the girl's hand making sure she had a firm grip on it before letting go of the tiny glass tube.

"Can you make sure Tails gets that?" Fiona asked softly.

Mara nodded as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"The only thing I know about you is that you are selfish, you don't do anything unless it helps you."

Fiona wanted to look hurt, but it was true, "Do me a favor?"

The girl stared back at her as if to ask, "what?"

"Don't leave without dancing with Jake."

Fiona had just given the Resistance the Holy Grail to their survival, so there was no reason for either Mara or Tails to stick around. Jake had become too smitten with the girl to let go easily and life was hardly kind to him. Her partner looked out for her day in and day out, the least she could do was keep his heart intact for a few more hours.

"Hello ladies," a gruff voice interjected. "Fiona, I didn't expect to find you down here. You missed it, you should have seen Snively, he wet himself in the elevator."

"Did he?" the fox responded doing her best to act surprised.

Finally noticing Mara's reddened face quickly changed tacks, "Sarah are you okay?"

"Fine, just my allergies," she said glaring at the vixen as if she was the source of the problem. Well I suppose I am, Fiona thought.

"How would you feel about a party tonight?" Jake asked her while his face slowly flushed with color.

Mara split her attention between the two agents standing before her. Fiona took a step backwards out of Jake's peripheral and nodded to the girl, reminding her of the promise she never got a chance to make.

"Sure," she responded with a concerning amount of hesitation, "but I think I am going to need to go shopping for a new dress."

"Good, then you can help me find something too." Fiona added before Jake could express his excitement.

"He invited you too?" Jake asked somewhat surprised.

"I am in charge of security."

"Yeah, but he doesn't normally trot you out in front of the public without some kind of reason. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"He gave me his word, he hasn't broken it yet."

Fiona was lying through her teeth. She trusted Jake enough to tell him how she felt, but he didn't want him to be concerned. After her conversation with Snively in the elevator, the prospect of becoming part of what was no doubt going to be a live demonstration of roboticization was becoming very real all too fast.

"If you don't mind Sarah," Jake said as he turned back to Mara, scratching the back of his head in hesitation, "I thought we might take your car. It's a little more appropriate for the venue."

The girl smiled a little, "No problem. Besides I am used to driving you everywhere now."

Fiona shot her partner a look as if to display her disappointment in him.

"Don't look at me like that Fi, it was just the one time…. And maybe another after that."

Now Mara was staring at him as well.

"And a few more after that... What do you guys expect? I don't have a car."

The vixen gave him a pat on the back as she left them. The more time they spent together the more it gave Mara a chance to forget about the bomb that had just been dropped on her. The remaining hours of work seemed to drag on, only amplifying the time the fox spent thinking about how many ways her plan could go wrong. The girl was right, she only did things to help herself, but at least this time Fiona could help the ones she loved at the same time.

"Took you long enough," Mara said as the vixen walked into one of the highest end shops she had ever seen, "I have been waiting here for almost a half hour."

"I don't have a car either," the fox remarked.

The store manager was extremely quick to approach them, "I am sorry ma'am, but we do not allow you're type in this establishment."

Mara reached in her pocket for a wad of cash and was about shove it his face when the fox pulled out the dominion badge from inside her vest. The store manager's face went white as he apologized profusely, "excuse me, I had no idea. Allow me to extended our employee discount to you and your friend."

Fiona proceeded to walk past the man, hardly bothering to nod her head in thanks. Mara spent the better part of two hours trying on dresses, but Fiona knew what she wanted the second she laid eyes on it. It was a long slender black dress that had enough flair to turn heads but yet be perfectly bland at the event she was attending. The shopkeeper grimaced as Fiona took out her combat knife and cut a small hole in the back of the dress just below the waist for her tail. She could tell he wanted to say something, but was too scared of the badge around her neck to make so much as a squeak.

The changing room in the back was filled with mirrors and soft white light. Fiona wasted no time removing her clothes and slipping the garment over her head. The thin soft fabric seemed to meld with her velvet red fur. Staring at herself in the mirror she wished Tails could see her like this. The two had never been on a date, at least not one that didn't end in a shootout.

Stepping back out into the store she quickly gathered more attention than she had expected. "That looks amazing on you," Mara said, mouth slightly open in amazement.

Even the shopkeeper agreed with a small tip of his head. The other patrons who had been quick to ignore her were now stealing glances while the vixen had her head turned.

A small genuine smile found its way up the fox's muzzle as she wagged her bushy tail in excitement. A compliment on her looks was something she hadn't received in what felt like years. Living in a world of humans meant the only she ever heard the opposite.

"So," Mara began it a much quieter voice, "tell me again why you are helping me?"

The vixen shot glances around the room to make sure no one of significance was around.

"I have a plan of sorts. If it works we all live."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Well… I will definitely be dead… or worse."

Mara visibly shuttered. No doubt she had seen first hand some of the experiments performed on Mobians, "death would be better."

"You don't have to tell me. I am honestly surprised you haven't run yet, now more than ever."

Mara chuckled in a warm half serious tone. "I feel like I have a family here. As scared as I am every day, knowing I have people looking out for me is new. And Jake…"

Fiona nodded, "I am not sure what he sees in you, but it must be something really special. He won't ever shut up about you. Jake has had my back every day for almost four years, there isn't a person I trust more in this world."

"You're not making this any easier," Mara said with water pooling in her eyes.

"Don't talk to me about easy," the fox replied.

"Just help me find a dress…" the girl said now feeling slightly depressed.

Fiona continued to stare at herself in a nearby Mirror wanting more than anything to keep the life it felt as if she had just put on.

Dear Readers,

My apologies for another long posting gap. I have been traveling for business for the last week or so. Now that I am back my goal is to finish this whole story up in the next seven days. Wish me luck.

Also please enjoy, I feel like this whole thing could have been better, but I just want to get this out there before any more time goes by.

Cheers,

M.D