Anya's pen scribbled away at the documents on her desk. She was almost finished with her work for today and the thought of her accomplishment made her smile. Just a few more papers to fill and a couple of documents that required her signature before being sent off to Mr. Khan's office for his approval, and she could call it a day. It had been some time since she had left Eli in the care of his instructors, and she wondered how he was doing. She could tell Eli was a soft, gentle mammal, and there was the possibility that the training might be too harsh for him, especially with Kovacs and Desola being the sadistic bastards that they were.

The sound of her office doorbell ringing pulled her out of her thoughts and her work. "Come in!" She responded, looking up from the documents on her desk to the door to see Eli entering, looking in much worse shape than she had left him some hours ago. He had a few bruises visible on his face, as well as cuts that looked like the work of claws, though it could be seen that they had been medically treated. Anya could only assume he had more on his body as well. His suit was absolutely dishevelled, loose tie and all, looking like he had hastily and carelessly removed and worn it back on.

"Oh dear! Eli! Are you alright?!" She gasped, quickly getting up from her desk to intercept the hobbling young man. Letting him lean on her for support, she led him to one of the comfortable chairs in the lounge area of her office and set him down, examining him over.

"Let me guess, they started you off with 'self-defense' training'?" She questioned, quite expecting the answer when Eli nodded. She sighed in frustration.

"Those jerks! I was afraid they'd do something like this. And just when I thought I could trust them for once."

"They… they do this often?"

"It's their twisted idea of 'having a little fun' with recruits. I was hoping they would have grown out of it, but apparently not. You should get those cuts looked at. Get to the medical department in the basement, they'll patch you up."

"I already did. This is the best they could do."

"Then head home and get some rest."

"Are you kidding? I can't go home like this! If my parents see me like this, I'm toast!"

"You're right." She admitted, staring off into space as she tried to think of a solution. "I've got an idea! Hold on." She piped up, making her way to one corner of her office and collecting a few things before returning with what looked to be makeup supplies, leaving the man puzzled.

"Is this really the time for you to work on your appearance?"

"It's not for me, it's for you. I think I may have a color here that matches your skin. If I can just find it…" she finished, sifting through the case. It was then that Eli understood what she was trying to do.

"Got it!" She finally announced triumphantly as she pulled out a foundation that was indeed the same color as Eli's skin.

"That… why would you even have that? It doesn't match your color at all."

"It came with the set I bought. Still, I'd say you're very lucky I had it on paw, don't you think?" She smiled, using a brush to carefully apply it to Eli's cuts and bruises. To her delight, it blended with Eli's skin perfectly, masking his wounds like they never existed. Speaking of which, his skin fascinated the snow leopardess, who had never been this close to his kind before, and she took the opportunity for a better look without him noticing. Her brush eventually moved on to conceal a scratch near one of Eli's eyes, and while working, her gaze inadvertently shifted to those orbs, and she found herself unable to look away. Each one was adorned with a beautifully vibrant, shimmering ring of blue that reminded her a lot of the predatory gaze of some wolves she had seen. His was softer though, revealing a kind soul, and in them she could see his youthful energy, determination and focus, as well as a slight amount of the shy and innocent but considerate and helpful young boy that he used to be, but now slowly changing to… curiosity? Wonder? Confusion?... what?...

"Miss Purranova?"

"… huh?... O-Oh! Sorry!..." she quickly apologised. She realised she had been staring with her mouth slightly agape.

"Is everything okay?"

"Y-yes, it's nothing, don't worry. And now that we're coworkers, just call me Anya."she smiled, continuing her work. In this moment, she was particularly glad that she was a snow leopardess, as her long, thick fur managed to hide the slight blush that would have otherwise made this a very embarrassing moment. Much to her relief, Eli smiled back and didn't seem to mind.

"So, let me know how it looks." She asked once she was done and led him to the nearby mirror. Surprisingly, he found that his face was clear of any evidence of injuries.

"Wow, that's some fine work you did. I look almost as good as new."

"Thanks! I've had plenty of practice, though never in covering up injuries." She giggled, picking up her things and stowing them away before sitting back at her desk.

"Seriously though, thanks. Mom and Dad will never know the difference."

"I do hope all that trouble was worth it though. Did you learn anything useful down there?"

"I picked up a few things, yeah. Though according to 'those jerks', I still have a long ways to go." Said Eli as he finished straightening up his suit and tie, making his way over to sit opposite to Anya at her desk.

"Hopefully they won't give you too much of a hard time, but in the long run, you'll be grateful for it once you're out in the field."

"I've been thinking though, what am I supposed to tell my parents? That I work for a secret vigilante crime fighting organisation? They're not gonna buy that. Or if they do, they aren't exactly gonna be happy about it."

"No need to complicate things. As far as everyone outside this building is concerned, you're a regular office worker spending your days in a cubicle here at headquarters. And don't worry, we'll maintain your cover, including reducing your pay to more believable fictional values, transferring it to an unsuspicious looking account, camouflaging your odd working hours and any injuries and removing any unwanted sightings should you be spotted on the job. In short, your friends and family won't have the faintest idea of your real line of work."

"I'd… hate to have to lie to my family…"

"Sometimes small sacrifices must be made for the greater good. And trust me you'd be doing them a favor. If they knew the truth, they'd be worrying for you day and night."

"I suppose you're right."


Later

Eli carefully opened the main door of his house, trying to be as quiet as possible, though he knew it was futile. Knowing his mother's hearing capabilities, he figured she would have already been aware of his arrival the moment he turned the doorknob. Throughout his way back, he had been thinking of a good way to present his cover story to his parents. He had never lied to them before. Well… almost never… but he always had difficulty doing so, and often regretted it afterwards, even more so when he was caught.

Tiptoeing his way further in, he peered into the kitchen from the doorway, but he couldn't see Judy anywhere. He tried the lounge next, but she wasn't there either, and neither was Nick. That's odd. Maybe they were upstairs?

"Any good news?"

"GAH!" The sudden voice made the already nervous man jump, eyes darting to look at the source of the sound. It was Nick of course, sporting a smug grin like he had taken some delight in startling him. Judy followed a moment later, frowning at the fox, obviously displeased with his prank.

"You'll have to excuse your father sweetie. Skulking around is in his genes after all. Anyway, how was your day? Any luck?" She perked up once again, turning back to Eli.

"Oh, uh… y-yeah actually. I got the job! I finally have a job!" Eli responded, wearing his best fake smile as he knelt down to their level.

Nick was visibly surprised, while Judy looked like she couldn't contain her excitement, almost hopping in place.

"That's absolutely wonderful news honey!" She exclaimed and leapt over to her kit to hug him which he returned happily.

"See? A little patience and perseverance goes a long way. I told you you'd find something eventually." She added as the two parted. Eli's gaze landed on Nick next, who seemed a bit sceptical of the situation.

"So… everything was okay out there? They didn't torture you or anything, right? And they're not forcing you to work for them, are they?"

"N-no, of course not, nothing like that."

"Uh huh. And they didn't employ you as some kind of hired goon to beat up competition, did they?"

Eli sighed. "Dad, I'm just working as a technician in their engineering department, that's all."

"Nick, can't you just be happy for your son like a normal father without criticising everything?" Judy reprimanded. For a few moments, Nick maintained his sceptical look, arms crossed, then suddenly shrugged.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Congratulations buddy! Didn't mean to put you down back there. I'm glad everything worked out well. I'm proud of you. Really, I am." He admitted with a genuine tone and smile, placing a paw on the young man's shoulder.

"Thanks dad." Eli smiled and embraced the fox, though inside he was distressed. He wasn't happy about the lie he had told just now to the ones who cared for him so deeply, but he continuously tried convincing himself that it wouldn't be too bad just to keep this one secret now… would it?


A few days later

The street lamps and the lights from the nearby buildings were about the only things illuminating the nighttime darkness that blanketed the snowy streets of Tundratown. A few mammals were still out on the streets, and the only sound was the gentle blowing of the snowy wind aside from the occasional car passing by. One particular car however blazed at full speed through the otherwise peaceful streets, the police cruiser kicking up snow as it sped down roads and swerved around corners, apparently in a hurry to get somewhere.

"Dispatch, this is officers Kellaway and Doyle, we're approaching the reported scene of disturbance."

"Copy that. The caller claims seeing two suspicious individuals lurking around the premises of Horizon's labs. He noted they looked like they meant business. Use caution when confronting."

"Will do, out." The zebra officer finished and placed the radio back on the dashboard receiver just as his partner parked the car right outside the Horizon Corporation's laboratory building, located in a more isolated area close to the edge of the district.

"Great, just great. Nothing better than spending the freezing Tundratown night out in the cold." The camel officer complained as he set the parking brake.

"Then let's hope it's just a false alarm so we can get back as soon as possible. Look on the bright side, at least you might get to see some action like you always wanted."

"Very funny Kellaway." The camel snorted before both of them opened their doors and stepped out of the cruiser. They searched the outside of the building but found nothing, though as a precaution, they decided to check inside as well. Entering the lobby, they found the night guard's desk empty… or so they thought. Upon closer inspection, they found the guard, a goat, collapsed behind the desk.

"Shit!" Kellaway rushed forth to examine the body. "He's alive! He's still breathing, just knocked out."

"Still think it's a false alarm?" Doyle asked sarcastically as both officers pulled out their dart guns. Kellaway merely glared back at him as he reached for his radio.

"This is officer Kellaway, we have a situation at the Horizon labs, send backup and an ambulance too, we've got one injured here."

The response from dispatch was positive, but it would be a while before help would arrive. They were on their own for now.

"Keep your eyes peeled and hoof on the trigger." Kellaway warned, with Doyle nodding in compliance. The two ventured further into the building, eventually coming upon another lobby where the elevators were located, as well as the culprits responsible for the break in. Two cheetahs were busy with one of the locked elevator doors, trying to get it open using various tools. They didn't look like your ordinary thieves, seemingly well equipped for whatever task they had in mind. Unfortunately for the officers, they spotted them as soon as they rounded the corner and immediately bolted for the back exit.

"Police! Hold it right there!" Doyle called out, both officers firing off a dart when they didn't comply. However, the perpetrators were too fast for an accurate shot so both darts missed.

"Fucking cheetahs!" Doyle hissed as he reloaded his weapon, and was stopped by Kellaway just as he was about to follow.

"They may try to head back to the front of the building. You go out the front entrance just in case." Kellaway ordered Doyle, who nodded and made for the main doors while Kellaway himself pursued them through the hallways that led to the back exit, remembering to reload his gun as well. Arriving outside, he spotted the two cats crossing the road and ducking into an alley on the other side. He wasted no time in following.

"Doyle, I've got them! They've ducked into an alley just across the road on the west side! Get here as fast as you can!" The zebra relayed on his radio as he sprinted over, pursuing them deeper into the alley until he rounded another corner, stopping as soon as he saw the pair.

BANG!

Kellaway felt something impact him squarely in the chest. It felt like taking a punch from a rhino, but focused in a smaller area, and the force was enough to make him stumble back a step or two. Looking at the culprits, one of them was aiming what appeared to be a gun of some sort at the officer, smoke emanating from its end, but what it fired certainly didn't feel like the prick of a dart. When he started feeling pain in his chest, he looked down at himself, horrified by the sight. There was a small hole in his chest, now bleeding profusely, and the pain was becoming more and more excruciating. It was getting harder to breathe, and he was feeling dizzy to the point he collapsed. He placed a hoof on the wound to try and reduce the bleeding and noticed the culprits had escaped by now. His vision began deteriorating and sounds started seeming like distant echoes, although he could hear hoofsteps approaching him, getting louder until the blurry image of Doyle appeared in his sight.

"Dh…Doyle?"

"Oh fuck! Kellaway! What did they do to you?!" He gasped, equally shocked at the state of his partner as he fumbled around for his radio.

"This is Doyle over at Horizon labs, I have an officer down, repeat, officer down! I need that ambulance here ASAP!" He practically screamed into his radio before tending to his friend.

"Hang in there, help is on the way. You're gonna be fine!" He tried to assure, though the growing pool of blood underneath the zebra wasn't a very optimistic sign.

"C-can't… breathe… hurts… b-bad…" Kellaway wheezed, feeling his sight darkening and his eyes getting heavier like he was extremely sleepy. Doyle was trying everything he could to at least keep his friend alive until the ambulance arrived, his voice wavering the more he realised how futile his actions were, but at some point, no matter how much he assured him, the voice faded away till he couldn't understand him anymore, replaced mainly by the sounds of him struggling to breathe. His final thoughts drifted towards his family, how he wouldn't see them again, nor they him, thoughts of his good days and the time spent with them, glimpses of his youth and adulthood, everything leading up to today, until his eyes closed for the last time and he took his final breath.