2

When Kai comes to, the floor is vibrating beneath him uncomfortably. He sits up quickly and feels his forehead hit something. There is a muffled sound of pain, and he blinks.

He is sitting in a strange boxy room that seemed to be moving. Nya is lying on the ground, snoring quietly. The wolf boy is hugging his knees to his chest, staring at the floor as though he can burn a hole through it with his eyeballs, one hand clamped over where Kai had scratched him. And...

Another teenage boy is rubbing his nose, a pained expression on his freckled face. His curly auburn hair is fluffy, but not quite long enough to hide the matching ears poking out of the sides of his head. A similarly colored tail curls around his ankles, much longer and thinner than Kai's. His eyes are dark blue with shimmers of a lighter shade, like a reflection on a deep lake. "Man, you've got a hard head!" he laughs ruefully. "No wonder they did such a number on you!"

Kai's mind is so blurry, he barely registers this. "Sorry, who are you?" he asks, trying to sound tough but failing miserably.

"I'm Jay, Jay Walker!" the ginger says cheerfully, holding out the hand that isn't clamped to his nose. When Kai doesn't take it, he shrugs, looking slightly hurt, and lays back against the walls of the boxy room. "You're a fox, right? Then she must be your sister." Kai immediately feels suspicion well up in his chest as Jay's smile becomes admiring. "Wow, you guys put up a fight! I heard it all. That poor fellow wouldn't stop fighting; they had to shock him three times before he knocked out." Jay nods at the wolf boy, who appears not to have heard. "It only took one for me. I was already going with them though, 'cause they threatened my mum and dad."

This gets Kai's attention. He snaps his head up again and fixes his eyes on Jay's, trying to gauge how much of this was a lie. Jay doesn't turn away or blink, so... "You have parents?" he rasps, wincing at the pain in his throat.

"Yeah," Jay says like it is the most obvious thing in the world. "They're really nice, but they never stop talking." Well, this apple didn't fall far from the tree, Kai thinks. "We live in a junkyard to the south of the city. Or... we did." Jay's face falls and he begins fidgeting with the end of his tail. "I hope they're okay without me."

"Are... are they like us?" Kai asks, curiosity flaring. "Hybrids?"

Jay shakes his head, looking confused. "No, they're just people."

"Then... why do you live with them?" Kai waits for a reaction, but Jay seems more confused than before. "Humans can't be trusted! They'll drag you off to... wherever hybrids disappear to in the blink of an eye!"

Jay looks shocked and offended. "My parents would never do that!" he says, a slight growl in his voice.

Kai lets out a rough laugh. "Well, time to face the music, pal. Humans are the reason we got shocked and beaten and shoved in this... whatever this is."

Jay grits his teeth, as though restraining himself. "You're wrong," he snaps before turning away.

Kai feels a strange emotion blossom in his chest. It felt cold and sorry... was this pity?! He decides he didn't like this feeling at all. "Soooo... what animal are you?" he asks, breaking the silence.

Jay chews on his lip, evidently torn between holding a grudge or talking. "I'm a monkey," he says, relenting.

"A what?"

"A monkey!" Jay looks horrified at the clueless expression on Kai's face. "They're the best animals ever! They're fast, and funny, and hardworking, and-"

Kai laughs, a real one this time. "Alright, we get it! You really like your animal side."

Jay looks slightly abashed. "Well... I think they're just cool, that's all."

"Could you chatter-boxes keep it down a bit?" a hoarse voice asks grumpily. "Some of us are trying to get some sleep."

Jay yelps with surprise and turns around to find the other boy blinking tiredly at them. Kai winces: the hybrid really isn't doing so well. Bruises stand out against his dark skin and blood is still dripping from where Kai had clawed him.

"Well, I figured we should just get to know each other better," Jay says apologetically. "Do you have a name?"

The wolf boy sighs. "If I tell you my name, will you quiet down?" Kai nods, Jay copying a second later. He shifts and mutters, "Cole. Cole Brookstone."

"Nice to meet you, Cole," Jay says cheerfully, before clapping his hands over his mouth. "Sorry about – oops, sorry! Sorry-"

"Alright, enough apologizing," Cole sighs, but Kai swears he sees a smile on the wolf boy's face. "Now, why don't we all get some more sleep?" Without waiting for an answer, the boy turns around three times and lays down again, back toward them.

"I'm gonna check on Nya," Kai says quietly, moving across the jolting ground toward his sister. He shakes her gently and she growls sleepily.

"Noooo, Kai. Don't waaaant to play with the chickens today. You do it..."

Kai feels the familiar bitter-sweet sensation he always fells when his sister murmurs in her sleep and paws at her again. "Come on, sis. Wake up."

She blinks slowly, sitting up to rub her eyes. "Wh-where are we?" she yawns, taking in their surroundings. "And who are you two?"

"I'm Jay!" the ginger blurts out. For some reason, his cheeks have gone pink, and he sounds shyer. "I'm a monkey-hybrid, though you could probably tell. How do you feel? I know some basic first aid if you are hurt-"

"Alright, Sir Talks-A-Lot, slow down," Cole sighs, evidently abandoning his nap. "I'm Cole, wolf-hybrid and we're on the way to Cryptor Laboratories."

"What?!" everyone asks in unison.

Cole lets out another gusty exhale. "It's where all the hybrids are taken. Doctor Cryptor studies their genetics. Rumor has it he's trying to make a cure to remove... this." He points to his ears and tail.

Kai and Nya exchange a look. They've never even thought about what life might be like if they weren't hybrids. Surprisingly, Jay shakes his head rapidly. "No! I don't want him to take it away! I like being a hybrid!"

Nya's eyes are wide with surprise. "You... like it?"

"Yes!" Jay says emphatically. "My mum says it makes me who I am! It's... well, it's me! And it's special!" He fingers his tail again, not meeting their eyes. "I like being special."

Nya chews her lip, evidently trying to figure out how to gently burst his bubble, but Kai shakes his head at her. He has a feeling nothing they say will be able to change Jay's mind.

"I've been trying to avoid the lab my whole life," Cole says darkly, but it doesn't sound like he's agreeing with Jay. "As soon as my dad heard about the cure, he tried to ship me off. I packed my bags and left." His wolf side became prominent as his expression shifted to grim, showing the points of his teeth. "No one gets to control me."

"Same here," Nya says firmly. Kai tries to give her a look to keep her from talking, but she keeps going. "We've been on our own for as long as I can remember, and we've been fine."

"Wh - so your parents left you?" Jay whispers, a tragic look on his face.

"Yes," Nya growls. "But we don't need them. We're survivors; we don't need anyone."

Cole nods, but Jay still looks heartbroken.

Suddenly, Kai becomes aware that the ground below them is slowing to a stop. Static filters through the air before a voice echoes around the tiny walls. "Hybrids, we have reached the Laboratories. If you do not come quietly, we will subdue you. You have been warned. You will only get one chance."

The group exchanges an uneasy glance as they rise to their feet.

Well, time to face the music, Kai thinks grimly. No more running. We'll just have to roll with the punches.