Chapter Eighteen:
What real nightmares are made of...
The image of Jessica Ann Binger and the young fox Anthro flickered as the web-cam was bumped a little but it stabilized.
"Good." The watcher said in a surprisingly pleasant tone, a voice that could easily slide to a polite voice, as easily as his face could assume a blank expression with no effort. He folded his hands over the soft lump of fur his lap, stroking it once and continued to watch the screens before him.
The room was well lit, contrary to what some of former and current alliances might think his domain might be like. As well as being very clean with white walls but no windows, for they weren't needed in this underground part of the secured structure. The tables, and all but one chair were made of cold, polished steel. The room smelled of disinfectants, though wisps of burnt metal drifted by from the air vents, every now and again with a fainter scent of since hair or fur.
One wall had a bank of screens, most all universal in size, except a slightly larger on just to the right of censor. Three key boards were on the near bare surface of the table like desk. The main workings of the computers, both the isolated ones in this office, those connected to the rest of his compound and the one to the rest of the world, where all hidden within the walls to make use of space.
Some of the few things on the desk where a near foot patch squares of different furs. Folded neatly, though the labeled 'samples' were all stored in a glass covered and lock case that was to the left of the desk. To the side was several maps, of old paper to one side of the door, and hologram on the right of the door.
There were images of the current targets around the maps, both the renegade and mutated Scott and his current... partner? As well as an old subject that had resurfaced.
Standing the man put his corgi down before walking over to the maps. He was a little pale in the skin, but not really unhealthy. Maybe from the lack of constent sunlight. He was a good six feet tall and had black, neatly cut hair. His brown eyes scanned the green, more erratic line on the paper map that represented the estimated path of Scott. It was broken in many places where there was just no way of tracking the anthro over the last year and a half. Another was a purple line, or spots over the last year of the old prize.
He was very grateful of social media web sites, the postings of anthro in no so common places was a common thing to do. Thus it gave them, him, with a clear image of the reptile anthro. The image had been printed out and attracted to the wall beside the blue furred Scott, perching on the frame of a pick-up's bed with several other humans in one of those nomad gatherings. Ears up and looking rather confused at an offered funnel cake from a blond girl.
The other picture showed a reptile anthro, with skin- or rather a hide that was a mottled mix of green, brown, some hints of purple mixed in. The colors all faded to a reddish on the right arm and leg in the chameleon way that matched the bricks of the wall the anthro had climbed up, and was sticking to. Reaching out with a free left hand to grab a string of a balloon before it got too far away from the child it escaped from.
The picture had been taken in an instant of kindness, as several had said in the social website it was taken from. Something adorable and claiming proof of how alike humans and anthros truly where.
To him, it was a prime view of the only known survivor of the Stellio Lacertae Project. Only one in a group of twenty survived the transition from mammalian, human, forms to reptilian. Of those single ones, probably… what was it, and estimated five or six out of survived the first week from the body using up all energy-fat stores, less were suspected to live longer. For ten years it was thought that project was a complete frailer, until last year. In the intensive search for Scott, the techs online had stumbled across that image.
The chances of this anthro being a random individual was possible, by the known sub Zone, in a larger one, where Stellio Lacertae took place was possible too. It was highly unlikely though. Not with this male anthro being one of the exact anthro types they had tried for in the project.
And, this unexpected prized survivor looked healthy. Not thin by starvation or a side effect of the transformation proses. Greavenson tapped the picture over the pale horn on the chameleon, wondering if it took him this long to grow it, or it came quicker.
Now it was only a matter of tracking this reptile anthro down to get a blood sample or a scan at least of the chip Greavenson made sure to put in any experiment or... research subject. Two as of the last few years when there were more escapes from this facility and others. The first had the general information of the subject, project number and any small notes once scanned, kept functioning by body heat. The second was a tracer, and only recently were those able to be small enough to inject and be kept functioning in the same way.
If only he had another minute after Scott had collapsed from the Chaos-surge that changed him. He had a tracer in arm's reach, and Dr. Erica Acane had been right there beside Scott with a tracer injector in hand...
"But alas," Greavenson sighed at a chance gone, it would have made getting Scott back so much easier. More so considering the apparent speed he could move now. Something that was a million to one in chance as there seem to be no augmentation. The speed seemed... natural. The Chaos energy would have faded in a day, maybe two, after the blast that changed Scott.
Turning from the maps, the man watched the video feed where he was, "How innocent they seem." Greavenson, the man in complete charge of the G.A.A.R.P. agency, mused to himself as he waited for the third member of the little group he had finally tracked down to show up.
The fox like creature was expendable. It was an anthro that had been born, not a changed from a human like the real prizes. True, the double tails were an interesting mutation but that was about it. The girl might hold a bit more value though. Especially if Scott had any… what was the term? Ah, right, 'love'. If nothing else the… the nomad would most likely be a good way to get to the changed sergeant.
Greavenson's eyes narrowed as the true prize came into sight on the screen. He smiled, plans already half made in his head as he walked back to his seat.
On the screen Scott wrapped his arms around Jessica in a hug, his head next to hers as he seemed to tease the fox about something. Shame he couldn't get the audio too, or the other end of the call. Whoever it was had more protection than the nomad.
Maybe he could use the girl... but how? Scott had already proven to be faster and stronger then ever before. The hedgehog's strength was constantly growing by all accounts. The more he ran, the faster he became it seemed.
The man leaned forward, tapping a finger on his knee as he thought about it.
"I can't keep up with you, so I need you to come to me Scott." Greavenson smiled to himself again, "I wonder if you would follow her, or that young thing… who would you give yourself up for? Is it the kindred spirit? Or could it be the pretty mechanic? Who is the easiest to take from you?"
Not the freak fox, that was for sure. Both Scott and Jessica would be surely watching over it, protecting it more carefully from the public or any possible theat.
"But the girl…" Greavenson chuckled as he leaned back. "Yes, that does make more sense. The nomad is older, and not being watched over as closely as the fox would be. She's most likely to go off on her own without... supervision. Scott would be left behind with the pup and…"
He chuckled again, but this time it was a bit darker. The man waited until Jessica started to talk again into her friend. Sadly he couldn't track the other but it was sheer luck that one of his men had spotted Scott so he could tap into their computer.
"Ah, so you're going to a zone... fox something… must be treated to the mutant." one side of Greavenson's mouth twitched after watching this one side of the conversation carefully, "No doubt to return that little fur-ball to its owner. I'll see you there my dear."
He laughed softly to himself, and at hearing a hissing sound in reaction he turned his chair around to regard the cage in the far corner or the wall with a smirk. "Don't worry my dear, I haven't forgotten about you, or your kind. Or that family." He assured in a tone that was all reassuring and terrifying at the same time.
Coin bright eyes narrowed into a glare behind a rainbow shine of the force shield that kept the feline anthro in. There was fear there in those admittedly pretty eyes, but as the human turned around he didn't see how the spotted female anthro silently leaned forward, studying what he was doing, and the maps. The gold eyes narrowing to slits as claws thought to be removed, and unknowingly grew back slid out of her finger pads to reach for the field.
I'm coming Bill... She thought once more, but even that thought was kept quiet so not to disturb the human.
Dun...dun...duuuuun...!
XD Don't think anyone's going to know who the new character is, expect for maybe two people, but she will be coming back. .o. hopefully with her hide and fur all in place! And there's another Cameo in here!
Reviews!
ChojisGirl-
Yes, my Mr. Fluffy[butt] is coming! Echo's return is right after the trip to see where he is in the Valley.
Dragon of typing-
A new reader and reviewer! Thank you very much for saying so, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this story and the fallowing re-writes as well!
And a big thank you to all those that favorited and\or put this on their alert list!
ADDED NOTE!
I'm going to be taking in cameos now for the next three chapters! ChojisGirl I think you might like this n.n
Settings are going to be... in a bumper to bumper, boarder-like traffic jam waiting to go through a Warp ring, Metropolis Zone back ground in nightclub, hotel, maybe pool, streets and shops! Then back to earth on the way to Fox Valley.
Let me know if you're intrested by PM here on fanfiction, or over on my DA acout, there's a journal set up for it