Hello people! Yes, I'm alive and kicking. I'm soooooooo sorry I didn't update sooner but I had a whole week of exams and I just felt my brain drained and I felt so lazy I didn't want to do anything... Not that that is a good excuse but... I hope you can forgive me with this chapter?

Just so that everybody knows, since my beta, Hippie Vampire told me it would be a good idea to make things clear, last chapter we had a three year skip. That means that Alfred is now 19, Arthur 16 and Peter is obviously 13...

Also, thanks to everybody that participated the last time. The Swan Hybrid WAS Denmark (who else imagined Denmark in a white tutu dancing the Swan ballet?) and our winner is... HarikaHalura who was the first to guess correctly! So the character she created is Jenny, which you will meet later on... So on with the story!

An Unexpected Reunion

Alfred sighed as he returned home. The whole team had spent a month away in the borders and had just returned. Hans had ordered everyone to return home, while he left to hand over a report to the higher ups. Even after such a long time in the SA, the blond man refused any sort of promotion he got, wanting to stay where he was. Not that the higher ups pressed him too much, since he seemed to be the only one who could control the albino and the American in his team. Even if they were nineteen (Gilbert was twenty, but nobody really believed him when he said so, too much of an idiot), they had serious issues with authority. While they liked working for the SA, they hardly, if ever, followed the protocol, preferring to make their own decisions and take action by themselves.

Groaning, the blond remembered the serious punishment that awaited them. Their mission had consisted on watching over the newbies (since it was usually them that were sent to the borders). Each of them had gotten a unit to train. Ludwig had given his some serious training, making them go through hell (by the end of the month they all looked about to die from starvation). Antonio had shown them all why some nicknamed him the Conquistador, letting go of his dark side (the poor kids even screamed and ran every time they caugh sight of the male). Gilbert had been the one to have the most fun, ordering them around and firing at them when he wanted to be obeyed while he himself hadn't done much with them, except ignoring them as he watched over the border.

This had been the last straw for Hans. He had ordered them all to return home as soon as they set foot in the city, claiming that he would take care of the damage. He had promised them that when they returned a small surprise would be waiting for them, which meant that they would have some gruesome job to do for the next two three months.

Finally reaching his apartment the blond smiled at the owner who smiled in return. "Hard time at work huh?" she asked.

"You have no idea."

"Mathew isn't at home right now. He said that he would be returning later, since he had some things to work on with some friend of his for school. Told me to remind you to make yourself something to eat before you went to sleep if you returned."

"Thanks, won't forget it!" smiling his million dollar smile that young man walked up the stairs, since the elevator was going through some repairs right now.

Finally reaching his apartment, Alfred brought out his key, swapping the card over the lock. When the light turned green he opened the door and walked in, smiling. Home sweet home.

Walking towards his kitchen, he looked around for the polar bear. They had genetically modified it so that it never grew on size, making it easier to carry around. Kumajiro (where had Mattie found that name?) still had the same size as a baby polar bear, even if he was already five years old. That didn't mean he ate like one, because he gave him a run for his money every time.

Deciding to prepare something to eat for himself and for Mattie's pet, he looked around the kitchen in search for something to eat. Finding nothing (except for the bear's food, since his brother always made sure to have enough for Kumajiro) Alfred opted on some take out. It had been a while since he last ate some real good, juicy pizza.

Mouth practically drooling at the thought, his hand stretched for the phone, almost missing the noise from down his hall.

Almost.

Stopping any movement, Alfred's hand went for his gun, having yet to take off his equipment. Listening closely, he realized that the noise he had heard were footsteps.

Somebody had broken inside his place.

Bringing the gun against his chest, he waited. The footsteps were light and hesitant. Whoever the person was had heard him in turn, and was approaching him. He waited patiently for the person to reach him. When he caught sight of a shadow right in front of the doorway he reacted. Getting out, he placed himself right in front of the intruder, gun pointed in front of him.

"Alfred..."

His blue eyes widened as he recognized the person. They had grown, but were at least a head smaller than him, if not more. The green cloak was still there, simply longer and reaching his knees. The corn blond hair was slightly longer, but as messy as ever. His face had matured, losing some of that baby fat, but his features were still as delicate as he remembered them. Both bunny ears were stiff, turned towards him, while one hand clutched the bottom of his cloak while the other one was against his chest. Those green eyes (beautiful, shiny and breath-catching) didn't even seem to notice the gun pointed towards him, favoring on watching him with something that made Alfred's own breath catch (relief, joy, wonder and something he couldn't define). Neither moved.

"It is you..." his voice had a breathless quality in it, as if the Bunny Hybrid couldn't beleive that Alfred was the one in front of him.

"Arthur..." Alfred couldn't believe that the one in front of him was the Rabbit Hybrid that had disappeared from his life three years ago. He was tempted on pinching himself, just to make sure that he wasn't having another of those dreams. He decided against it, since it wouldn't look very heroic. "What are you doing here?" he decided on asking.

As if remembering the reason of his presence, Arthur's eyes widened before he looked at Alfred square in the eye. He seemed to hesitate a few seconds before he opened his mouth. "I need your help."

Alfred blinked in surprise, not knowing what to say. Opening his mouth to question the younger teen further, he heard the worst noise he could have heard at the moment. The front door was opening.

"Alfred? Mrs. Limestone told me that you were home. Have you given Kumajiro his dinner?" His brother walked into the hall, making his way to the kitchen. Violet eyes wide open in surprise, Matthew tried to make some sense of the scene in front of him. His brother was pointing his gun (which should have been at his room by now) at what could be nothing else but a Hybrid. Watching the bunny ears twitch with something akin to fascination the ninteen year old wondered internally just what was a Hybrid doing inside the apartment of a SA agent.

"Hey Mattie," Alfred guiltily smiled. Letting his gun fall back down to his side, the American wandered just what he should do in this kind of situation. Thankfully, something distracted all of the people present, giving Alfred some more time to think up a logical explanation.

Kumajiro, having left Matthew's room in search of his new playmate, pushed his slightly wet nose against Arthur's calf. Looking down, the young Hybrid smiled softly. Kneeling, he wrapped both of his arms around the polar bear's tummy, pulling him upwards and pressing him against his chest. He looked like a little kid holding his teddy bear, especially when he turned his eyes towards the curly haired teen, studying him carefully yet in a way shyly. "Hello," he murmured, deciding that the person, since they lived with Alfred, wasn't someone dangerous. What's more, he recognized the young man from the many pictures Kumajiro had shown him. This was the polar bear's master. "Kumajiro told me a lot about you."

Blinking, the owner felt compelled to ask, "You can talk to Kumajiro?" Inwardly, he wondered why he was asking him that instead of questioning him on the reasons of this... unexpected visit.

Nodding, the now sixteen year old smiled at the other one shyly. "It isn't that hard. Being half animal really helps out on understanding other animals. We just have to work a little bit on learning their language. It's kind of like when one learns a new language."

Blinking in surprise once again, Matthew felt that he was going to need some time to let the information sink in. In the mean time, he had a brother to talk to. "What's going on Alfred?"

"Excellent question Mattie, which was just what I was going to ask Ar- I mean, the Hybrid over here." Laughing in a slightly histeric way, the SA agent asked himself what had he done to deserve this. He had been a good boy during the whole year.

And that time he almost burned down the Head Quarters doesn't count. He was sure Ivan had something to do with that.

Remembering the whole reason of his visit, the Bunny Hybrid straightened himself, holding the polar bear harder against him. "I need your help Alfred. Adolf and everyone got captured on our way to the meeting place and I was able to get away. I had nowhere to turn to, since the SA was after me, so I entered the city. I somehow detected yout smell, even it it was really faint, and I found this building. It took me a while before I could find your apartment but I managed. I couldn't go inside your room, since the window was locked, but the living room's window wasn't, so I opened it and walked in. Kumajiro found me and after I had given him something to eat, he gave me a small tour of your place. That's when you came in and since I recognized your smell I walked towards you and, well... here we are!"

None of the older teenagers said anything for a while, trying to assimilate the information. While Matthew was still trying to understand why a HYBRID would ask a SA AGENT for help, Alfred wandered what he should do. He couldn't just kick out Arthur back in the streets, especially with this downpour and he couldn't send him to the Head Quarters because that would be simply mean. Maybe he should help out the kid and free his pack? After all, they had taken care of him during his short stay with them...

They were in for a long night.

Ivan Braginski was twenty-six, and the youngest team leader the Specialized Army had ever had. He had quickly risen in ranks, due to his excessive training under his uncle, General Winter and his... naturally dangerous personality. He had been trained since he was a young boy, along with his two sisters, to become the perfect example of a SA soldier. The three had once formed a single team, under the tutelage of their uncle. They were experts fighters, scientists and computer hackers. The team alone was the one that had caught a third of the Hybrids imprisoned inside. They were extremely valuable and no one dared go against them. Only idiots (cough Alfred and Gilbert cough) turned against them.

All of Ivan's rigorous training had paid off. He was the head of a four-man squad. It consisted of himself, his sister Natalya, Eduard von Bock (a young man expert in computers) and Toris Lauriantis. Everybody recognized their talent, and while him and Natalya were enough to hunt down Hybrids, they needed some back up, as well as somebody to watch over their injuries, since they tended to forget they had them.

Walking down the hallways, people threw themselves out of his way, trying not to touch him in any way, since the young man hated physical contact. Some didn't even care if they ended up tripping against some trash can or against others as long as they didn't have to face the Russian. Rumor said that even the higher-ups feared him, trying to do everything to please him. For that reason, along with others, they let him take care of the prisioners. He was the one who 'took care' of them, finding new and inventive ways to spill any kind of information they could have. No Hybrid since he had taken that post had ever left the building alive.

In fact, at the moment the fair haired man was making his way to the newest visitors' cell. He had been informed that a ten-man squad that had gone out patroling had been able to catch not one Hybrid, but a whole pack. This had caught his interest. It was extremely hard to catch one or two Hybrids, but for them to be able to catch a whole pack... that had taken him by surprise.

Finally reaching the Hybrid Wing, he placed his hand against the door, letting it recognize his handprint. The door opened and he walked in, where a metal detector was placed. No one could bring arms inside this place, since Hybrids could find some way to nick them and escape (this had happened once or twice before). After was the full body scanner, before the last door opened letting him inside.

The wing had four floors, counting the basement. The first floor was where the SA offices were located. That's where guards and scientists off-duty could simply take a break and where the video room (where you could see everything happening in the building) were. The second floor was the training/torture floor. That was the place Hybrids usually hang around during one third of their stay. The other third was in the top floor, where they slept each in one cell. During the rest of their time one could find them in the basement, where scientist went through some experiments. They were thinking about moving that floor to the second or third floor, since it was a real pain getting rid of the bodies from the basement.

"You must be here for the new Hybrids," murmured a voice behind him. Tunring, Ivan looked at the older man with emotionless eyes. The person was already in their thirties, but was the one who owned the whole building. With olive skin, dark brown hair and eyes hidden behind a porcelain mask, Sadik Adnan was the owner of this prision. His men were each experts in their field, knowing how to give a never ending pain all while being able to kill effortlessly, in case the Hybrid really wouldn't talk. Sadik had never actually taken care of such things, letting others do the work for him, but it had been his calculating and sly mind that had convinced the higher-ups to hand him the job.

Ivan simply nodded his head, having nothing else to say. Sadik turned around, knowing that the other would follow him without any words needing to be said. They had reached the top floor when the darker man's cool and collected presence seemed to evaporate. Sleeping in a chair, was a lightly tanned man with dark, chocolate brown hair, who was normally in duty and was supposed to keep an eye on the prisoners. "Wake up!" snapped the Turkish man, kicking on the chair's leg. Olive green eyes opened and flashed in annoyance, before they regarded their boss coldly.

Neither said anything for a while and Ivan decided to walk down the cells, already used to that kind of scene. He watched every one of the cells, his eyes like stones as they looked at broken bodies, some hardly thirteen, crying or sleeping silently, as if trying to escape from a never ending nightmare. He finally reached the new Hybrids' cells. He stopped right in front of them, studying them as if he was facing a complex diagram he needed to remember by heart.

The two Canine Hybrids looked quite bad. They had painful looking bruises everywhere and he wouldn't be surprised if they had some broken bones. The Fox Hybrid was knocked out, laid ou in his tiny cot. His leg was twisted in an awkward angle. He made a note to himself to call over a doctor to look after them so that the interrogation could begin. The Wolf Hybrid (the leader) watched him coolly, simply studying him. He was kind of in the same state as the twins, but he didn't seem to fear him. This impressed the giant, however slightly.

"Get a doctor over here. I want those four ready for interrogation in a week at the latest," he ordered Sadik as he walked out. He had to visit the higher-ups to report them about his findings. He couldn't quite believe that they had been able to get the infamous Adolf, after all this years, the one who had been able to escape prision every time.

He wandered how the Hybrid was planning on getting away this time.

On his way up, he came face to face with Hans Beilschmidt, who was also going up. "What a surprise Captain Beilschmidt," he murmured softly, causing some passerby to shiver in fear.

"Captain Braginski," the other nodded, letting their eyes meet and not even flinching at the cold gaze he received in return.

"You may want to come with me. I have some interesting news to share." The older man simply rose an elegant eyebrow, following him in the way up.

"Of course, I was just making my way there."

The whole pack was waiting in the middle of a forest, right beside a riverbend. They had reached the place earlier than planned, so everyone was spread out, doing whatever they wanted, all while keeping a close eye on their surroundings. They all knew that the person would soon arrive and this made them all the more anxious.

Sitting under a patch of sunlight, Kiku Honda, a relatively small Cat Hybrid was typing something in a small laptop they had been able to... take without permission from a tiny SA quarter lost in the middle of a forest far away from where they were. His white tail and ears twitched in frustration whenever he met some problem and he didn't seem to notice the activity around him. Although that was simply false, since every time he heard an unusual noise he would straighten, letting his dark brown (almost black) eyes study the environment for any danger.

Not far from where he sat were two of his companions. One of them (a Monkey Hybrid with a ridiculous curl turned towards the right) was molesting the other (another Cat Hybrid, with black ears and tail). The Monkey was smiling as he tried to feel up the chest of the sole female in their pack. The young woman would then growl, punching the man in the face, hard enough to push him away, but not hard enough to knock him out (she had received the order not to).

The last member of the pack, their leader, sat on top of a rock, meditating. His hair was long,covering his whole backside, and held up in a low ponytail. He was naturally pale and quite slim. Many thought at first glance he was a woman, until the moment he talked, which made them realize they were actually talking to a man. He was a Panda Hybrid, with cute, tiny, round ears and a matching black tail. At the moment he was trying to find inner peace, concentrating on the mission ahead of him.

"YOU ASSHOLE!" echoed throughout the forest, making half of the fauna flee in search of someplace safe to stay. There went his inner peace.

"Enough!" he shouted. The other two, who were in the middle of a fist fight, stopped, knowing that they were in trouble.

The woman was the first to recover pointing an accusing finger at the male. "It's his fault! He won't stop, no matter how much I hit him!" she crossed her tanned arms, glaring up at her leader. Her tail moved as well, feeling their owner's anger. This seemed to catch the attention of the Monkey Hybrid, who smiled and tried to catch it.

"Da ze!" he shouted, when he finally had the tail in his hands. His victory didn't last long.

With a battle cry, the Cat Hybrid turned around, launching herself at the other one. "Im Yong Soo and Jenny!" the Panda Hybrid jumped from his sitting place, placing himself between the two before things went too far.

Jenny, grudgingly, obeyed, stepping away from Im Yong Soo, but still kept a wary amber brown eye on the young man, waiting for any suspicious move from his part. The other didn't seem to notice, turning his attention to the new comer. "Hyong!" he shouted, jumping on the older man before he could react.

"Hyong's breasts belong to me!" he shouted again, placing his hands over Yao's upper chest. Furious, the Panda Hybrid turned around, punching the younger man with enough strength to send him flying to the other side of the river.

"I thought we weren't supposed to knock him out," muttered the young woman, looking sullenly down. It wasn't fair she was the one being harassed and she couldn't do anything while the other one could do whatever he wanted.

"Silence," Yao didn't seem to hear her, more worried on the sound of footsteps approaching them. Smelling the air, they recognized the person. Sensing nobody else around, they all relaxed slightly, watching the person come out from the trees and bushes. The person was tall, taller than all of them, with a cloak that hid their identity from anyone who may see them. Their movements were slow and elegant, while both hands rose in a sign of peace.

"What have you got for us?" asked Yao, while Jenny placed herself in his right side and Kiku watched everything from over his computer. They all knew they had to be extremely careful with that person, no matter how long that person had been helping them.

"They are in prision. I was able to get a copy of the blueprints of the headquarters but the blueprints of the prision are out of my reach. They are in a closed off room. Their's only one key and it belongs to the General. The only thing I can give you is time. Their interrogation is supposed to begin in a week. I will be able to get you another week, but that's all I can promise."

Taking the blueprints, Yao handed them to Jenny, who gave them to Kiku to study. "How are you planning on doing that?" he asked, watching the other person warily. This person had helped them since the beginning, but he couldn't help but wander every time the reasons behind the help. What were their motives? What did they gain?

"Just leave everything to me. Make sure to have your team ready. I can cause a diversion so that you may infiltrate the place and get the right blueprints. From there, I'm sad to say that you are on your own."

"Is that all?"

The other seemed to hesitate for a second before answering. "Arthur didn't get caught."

This stunned them all to silence and nobody could say anything for a while. The person left quickly, knowing that their job there was done.

"Contact the Council. Something came up."

Translation:

Hyong- Big Brother in Korean

I know some of you imagined that Yao would have ended up as a Tiger Hybrid, but I just HAD to make him a Panda Hybrid. I mean, with his whole obsession with them and everything... It just seemed to fit. I remember somebody mentioning about a Bear Hybrid and it being either Berwald or Ivan but as you can see, it ended up being Yao, since a Panda is technically a bear right? So I kept my promise about there being a Bear Hybrid here! And isn't Monkey Im Yong Soo simply amusing? I was going to make him a Tiger, but when I showed my little sister South Korea, she asked me if I was thinking about making him a Monkey and bam! it was perfect. And Jenny is just perfect for what I have planned...

This is getting pretty long, so...

What is going to happen to out heroes now? Who was the person behind the cloak? How is Yao's pack going to help them?

Will Im Yong Soo be able to survive with Jenny and Yao watching his every move?

Stay tunned!