A lot can happen in two years. In a span of 730 days wars can be started and lost. Borders can be drawn anew. Even a mountain ridge can change its shape, even though the immense power of a volcano would be needed for that or a mining company with limitless ambition and money.

And the job market, of course, this particular field revolves over two years, in the case of T.U.F.F. that meant a lot of newly hired agents after the events that took place at the Petropolis power plant. From her point of view, Kitty especially remembered that it took Dudley about three months to properly grab things again after what happened to his hands there.

Particularly for her and him as a young couple, it was sometimes very hindering. Kitty could remember how frustrated she sometimes felt having his hands not at certain places. It wasn't the very best outcome for them, if you ignore that they all could also be dead.

But for T.U.F.F. as an agency what happened there was a haven sent opportunity. A T.U.F.F. agent saving the city even almost sacrificing his own life in the process and receiving harm? That was a PR opportunity the chief didn't allow to elapse. Dudley was put on every poster, every flyer, and in front of every camera, the chief could find.

Sometimes Kitty could even join the interviews, after all, they were a team in this. But the people mostly didn't care about her that much, plainly speaking, she was missing the scars to prove it. She felt jealous of him for quite a while until she realized something. Dudley only seemed talkative and in a good mood during the interviews, before and after them he seemed oddly nervous and always asked her if he had said something weird.

It was all very odd, and she suspected it had to do with the media hype. Her jealousy died the moment she realized that it was a façade he put up. If Dudley, one of the most extroverted people she knew handled that so poorly, how would she? Swapping places and suffering didn't seem so enticing anymore. And so, she tried to help him through that all and calm him whenever she could.

Now the interest in interviews with him had died down, and besides being recognized in the streets and the occasional kid being dressed as him at Halloween, mostly by parents who wanted a cheap costume, he wasn't the talk of the town anymore.

The result for T.U.F.F. was higher governmental funding and a whole lot of new hires. Most of them were trained by the two of them. Kitty loved walking through the offices and seeing them bursting with life now. The sound of fingers gliding over keyboards was like music to her, she wanted to dance but that would just injure people again. And even more, she loved the respect everyone showed for her.

The days of Agent Nuts and his annoying talk were over, he was gone, and also the climate of incompetence. Kitty made her way to the water cooler, it was exactly 10 am, so it was time for her cup of water, she needed to stay hydrated.

Briskly she marched to the water cooler, grabbed a paper cone, and filled it with room-temperature water. She was about to take a first sip when a second agent, a female fox wearing blue jeans, a white shirt, and a leather jacket stepped to her on the water cooler. Kitty always had a slight grin when she saw her. Her outfit looked like it was out of Dudley's wardrobe.

"Agent Katswell." The agent saluted and Kitty smiled and mirrored the gesture.
"Agent Rodriguez." The two of them stayed that way until they both chuckled and stood easy.
"How was your weekend Kitty?" Rodriguez asked and filled her paper cone with cold water.

"Oh, quite good, the whole celebration went over relatively smoothly."
"Yeah, sorry again for not showing up, graveyard shift, and so on."
"Crime never sleeps." Shrugged Kitty and took a sip.

"This time it did." Huffed Rodriguez irritated. "Not even D.O.O.M. was up to something. Anyway, I need more details, you said your Interpole friend was there. Is she still around, I'd love to meet her!"
"She left on Sunday, unfortunately." Kitty sighed longingly. "It was a fun night."
"You know how naughty that sounds, right?" giggled Rodriguez, and instead of answering this question Kitty showed her the photo of her and Carmelita drinking.

"Okay, that's less naughty but instead a little insane." She laughed. "You lost?"
"Karla, you need to put faith in a higher-ranking agent." Kitty grinned smugly and then added. "It was a tie."
"Not bad, and I thought you two and old Duds were making your birthday very special."

"I was out cold after the battle," Kitty admitted and scratched the back of her head. "And as I was told, she too."
"You fight to the bitter end, huh?" Karla refilled her cone and took another sip.

"It started as a game but we are both try-hards I guess." Kitty took the last sip out of the paper and decided to continue the conversation. She refilled the cone with warm water.
"So besides that," Karla looked at Kitty's hands in an obvious manner. "Again?"

"Yep again." Grumbled Kitty. "And there were some opportunities for him, believe me."
"Maybe he's planning something." Shrugged Karla and threw the soggy paper into the trash bin.
"Or he doesn't get the hint. I mean am I too subtle?"
"For Dudley? Yes." Karla meant baldly. "You either have to tell him, or just straight up propose to him."

Kitty also emptied the paper and threw it away. "What if he's not sure? I mean I know what I want but does he?"
"Kitty, honestly, he sometimes takes 10 minutes when we order takeaway, he doesn't have the slightest clue what he wants in any circumstance." Karla giggled but Kitty wasn't in the mood for joking anymore.

"You're maybe right… I better get back to work." She sighed and returned with a quick wave back towards her office. Maybe talking to him was the best option? She could tell him straight what she wanted, and they would be faster at some kind of goal. But then again, the small hopelessly romantic part of her wanted it to happen naturally, and she wasn't willing to give up that dream. No matter what, she was in the mood to see him, even if it was just for a quick talk.

Kitty was about to search for her cell phone but gave up on that quickly, Dudley mostly had his on silent anyway, that was agency-wide policy. She unlocked her computer and quickly checked the shift plan. Dudley had patrol duty together with no one. Kitty checked the plan twice. That was unusual, the buddy system mandated that no agent was on the streets alone. There must be some kind of mistake happening.

Kitty pushed a button on the desk's built-in intercom. "Rick, could you come to my office for a second?"
"Sure thing!" Rick replied and not 10 seconds later he stood in front of her desk.
"Rick, you were in charge of the shift plan for this week, weren't you?"
"That's right." Nodded the squirrel, Rick seemed a little tensed as he stood in front of her desk.

"So, can you tell me why Dudley is on patrol alone?"
"Alone? He should… Actually he shouldn't even be on patrol right now, I put him into the night shift the whole week."
"The whole week? Are you sure because," she turned her monitor around to him. "Here he is right now on patrol duty, alone."

Rick stepped closer and extensively studied the shifts. His eyes must have run through the timetable a dozen times before he huffed. "He changed the plan! And worst of all he gave me the night shift!"
"Great. Just great." Kitty grabbed her headset and tried to reach the T.U.F.F. car's internal radio. "Dudley, coming, over." She said and received white noise for an answer.
"Did he…?"

"Yes, he forgot to turn the radio on again." She stood up and grabbed her keys. "Rick, we put the plan back in order later, let's first get him before something bad happens."
Rick followed her without hesitation, after all, she was the next thing that came close to a boss for him besides the chief of course. Six months ago, the chief had decided to step back concerning his tasks, so Kitty was handling a lot of executive tasks around the office. The branch was working like a well-oiled machine since.

As the two of them sat in the car, Kitty obviously was driving, they followed the GPS signal of the T.U.F.F. car Dudley was driving. He seemed to be in the far southwest of Petropolis, heading towards a rather rough part of town.

Kitty pushed the pedal to the metal as they arrived on the freeway. She knew that the so-called rats nest of Petropolis was no place to be if you want to keep your possessions or your life. T.U.F.F. was of course also patrolling there, but usually with four agents per patrol and never alone. Kitty's mood changed from annoyed to worried the longer they took and as they finally arrived they were more than surprised to see the car being parked in front of a bar.

They had parked their vehicle maybe 50 meters away and were about to get out when a white-furred dog in a white leisure suit with sunglasses left the building followed by a female dog that was arguing angrily with him. The male dog was definitely Dudley, but what was he wearing? He looked like a cop from a show based in Miami.

"What the hell is going on there?!" Kitty asked watching the scene.
"When I recognize it correctly." Rick had gotten out a pair of binoculars and eyed the scene. "They are talking about something concerning a client. And something about size and arms."
"From where do you know that?" She asked and looked over at him amazed.
"I learned how to lip read back in college." He shrugged. "I thought it was useless like the rest of my degree, to be honest, but hey, I found a use."

Kitty wanted to inquire further about Rick's college time, but Dudley had moved again. He left the other dog on the wayside and drove north.
"Should we pull him over?" Rick asked as they followed the car with quite some distance, guided by the GPS more than by anything else.

"Not yet… I think he's still heading somewhere we-"
"Kitty!" Rick exclaimed looking at the big screen in the dashboard between them. "The signal is gone!"

"What do you mean by gone, there's no tunnel anywhere and he can't switch it off!"
"Take a look for yourself then!"
Kitty quickly glanced at the monitor. Rick was right, the signal was gone without a trace.
"That's worrying uhm… tell the thing to show us his last position, we will search there."

Meanwhile, Dudley was comfortably seated once again on a floating couch. The advisor had asked for another meeting, and he knew it was the better option to meet him where he asked for, otherwise, he would just show up in his apartment. And although he would probably disappear before someone sees him, Dudley still had to explain why he was talking to himself.

"I am pleased you could find time in your scedule," Sam said taking a sip from the same cup he did last time.
"Have you even moved?" Dudley eyed him thoroughly, he was still wearing the same suit as last time, the copy of his black suit.
"Oh, time advances in different ways for me than for you." The advisor explained. "For me, almost no time has passed since you left the last time, and also I also could argue it was a thousand years ago."

"Ah, so again something very easy to comprehend." Dudley giggled and his conversation partner nodded.
"Yes, if you have half a brain."
"Figures." The dog sighed. "So, what is it? I am already working on this distraction you talked about… thanks for sending dreams again by the way. It is less time consuming."

"I am not fond of this way of communication. It is too, how would you say it, sloppy. Your subconscious filters details to essential to be missed."
"But also, a lot more unsuspicious." The dog tried to reason.
"Well, discretion seems not to be your concern, Dudley." Sam's grin had something lingering in it.
Dudley immediately knew what was afoot and he didn't even try to hide it. "You mean the thing with Kerry?"

The advisor nodded. "Indeed, your little reveal."
"Look I know secrecy is important."
"Secrecy is vital. Secrecy is protecting you, Dudley." The advisor interrupted and his voice sounded stern and scolding. "If your involvement with me is made known to the public they will try to get through you to me. And we both cognize that it will not be me who will be dissected after hours of agony."

"I do know the consequences but… these things are harder to keep secret now. I am living with Kitty so I can't go anywhere after work or at night and during work I still have to work! When am I supposed to do these things? Listen I try my best here, I just needed to vent."
Sam listened silently to Dudley and then kept the lack of words a few moments longer as he eyed him pensively.

"I do not have any doubts that you will accomplish the things I demand from you but… I seemed a little too rushed. I have not fully considered the new circumstances. Good thing that Ms. Katswell is soon part of this undertaking. So, you have a person to 'vent'"
"I told you I am against it."

"And I told you it will be up to her. I will make her an offer…"
"Which she can't refuse?" Dudley finished the sentence for the advisor and was met with a smile that made him shiver.

"You always have a choice." The creature said slowly like it wanted to hammer this point in.
"No, what you offer is the illusion of choice."
"Is it? Remember the first time we met? You had a choice, did you not?"
Dudley remembered the day he died in the rubble of the storage hall by the docks in his fight against Jeffrey. He remembered how it was to die and he remembered the last kiss he shared with Kitty.

"The longer I think about it, no, I didn't." The dog said shaking off the dreed he remembered feeling as drew his last breath. "There's no way I would have chosen to stay dead."
Sam grinned even wider. "We are carving an idea about determinism out of the stone you call your brain, I am pleasantly surprised." He leaned back on the couch and took a sip from his tea. "You are right, these choices are illusions. In the majority of cases, the people take what I knew they would. The illusion of free will."

"And that's how you bind them to you." Dudley huffed in disgust. "That's really low."
"No, I initially bind them by the thing they get if they choose as expected. You got a glimpse into the future and your life back." He chuckled and put down the teacup. "But let me be frank for a moment. Did I bind you to me? You would say yes and rightfully so but, is it really the gift I gave you or the knowledge that there is a duty to fulfill?" Sam now leaned over the coffee table almost standing, his face inching towards Dudley's "I have chosen you carefully, Dudley Donald Puppy. It is neither me nor the gift that makes you execute these tasks. It is the purpose that it gives you and the fear of knowing that all this responsibility lies heavily on your shoulders because there is no one else to follow my advice if not you. Atlas will not shed the world." Dudley would have felt the advisor's breath on his face if the advisor had the need to breathe.

The dog looked into Sam's face and said unimpressed. "So, you think it's my fear, my pride, and my sense of duty?"
The advisor flopped back down on the couch and grabbed his cup while doing so. "Indeed. Others would have walked. And ignored me but you came back knowing that the duty must be done. I appreciate this side of you."

Dudley flinched hearing that. "Was that a compliment?"
"Cherish it." Nodded Sam and toasted toward him. "And about this Kerry affair. I suppose she is too occupied with her feelings for you to be a threat… at least regarding the essential secret."
"Yeah about this…" Dudley shook his head. "Another to do on my long long list."

"Oh… I have not expected you to be someone who relishes adultery." Sam looked intrigued over the edge of the cup. "Very fascinating."
"No, I am faithful… except the kiss but that's… I mean…" Dudley's head started to turn red. "Okay, Kitty will of course be angry but that wasn't… She kissed me!"

"You do not need to justify in front of me. I am neither judge, nor jury, nor executioner."
"I know, you are worse than the three combined." Dudley sighed and stood up. "So okay, no more reveals, got it. Anything else?"

"One thing…" The advisor raised his hand but instead of the usual solid limb Dudley was used to seeing the hand seemed to almost flicker between opaqueness and transparency.
"Nice glitch trick." Mocked Dudley but Sam didn't take notice of him. He instead looked at his hand.
"How peculiar, that is… novel. Very intriguing."

"What do you mean?" Dudley said and stepped closer to Sam. The flickering had spread to his whole arm now.
"The events I talked about… they commence." He smiled and Dudley could read excitement from the curled lips. "I will yield to the force of forgotten times, my curiosity dictates me. One last thing, our mutual friend Möbius got something for you. Get it." The flickering now quickly spread over Sam's whole body covering him in an ever stronger growing flickering.

And then suddenly, after a last violent flicker, Sam was gone. Dudley looked flabbergasted at the couch the advisor had just sat on.
"At least I am not the only one becoming weirder with age." He mumbled and then walked to the used spot where the door to the void was located.

Kitty and Rick were to check the GPS one last time as the signal returned and the little red dot representing Dudley's vehicle reappeared.
"Maybe it was just a malfunction?" Rick said and gave the monitor a gentle slap. Kitty didn't give heed to Rick's words, she was concentratedly watching the door of the old, dilapidated factory building.

It was an old red bricked façade whose wall accommodated, besides a lot of ceiling to floor windows, a steel door, probably an old worker's entrance, and a garage door, probably used in better days for the trafficking of goods. It was the steel door that made Kitty jump out of the car, because after 5 minutes of waiting Dudley was stepping out of it. She didn't lose time and jumped over the street to him.

"Dudley!" She yelled towards him over the noise of the city. Like stricken by lightning Dudley turned around and looked panicking at Kitty.
"Gosh, Kitty!" He said lying one hand on his chest. "You can't just surprise me like that!"
"I surprising you? You got some nerves!" Kitty folded her arms angrily. "You just used T.U.F.F. inventory outside of your shift for a joyride! What were you doing here anyway?"

"Oh, you know… I met some people."
"Like this bicker woman from that bar?!" Kitty moved closer to him her face hard like a grimace carved into marble.
"That was just an old friend of mine," Dudley said and then added. "Am I not allowed to meet with friends anymore?"

"I just don't understand why I never heard of these friends, and why they are so important that you meet them during work."
"She wanted some help concerning an important issue," Dudley exclaimed annoyedly.
"Was that the reason why she was running after you yelling? Dudley, what is going on here?"

"Look this is not the right place to talk about it, okay?" he moaned and rolled his eyes.
"I am just worried Dudley!" Kitty exclaimed now even more angrily. "You drove alone into this part of town and started doing things that just look shady."

"I am not… Look, sweetie, I love you and I know that you are concerned just please accept that I can't talk about it and that it's nothing shady."
Kitty gave him a look that was bound to a 5-second long silent pause. "Did you really believe that would calm me?"

"It was worth a shot." The dog shrugged and grinned helplessly.
"Fine." Kitty sighed in resignation, she knew that once Dudley acted stubborn there was not much she could do about that. "But we will talk about that tonight."
"Uhm… Kitty…" Rick sheepishly stepped next to her.

"Oh yes, we will talk tomorrow. You have the night shift again."
"Ah god dammit." Dudley cursed which made Rick grin.
"And don't you dare alter the schedule again!" She looked over to Rick and said. "Get back into the car we drive back to base. And Dudley, you go home, your shift starts in 7 hours."

"Fine." He simply said and angrily turned around to open the machine hall's garage door. Kitty was still standing behind him looking curiously inside the hall.
"There's nothing in here." Commented Dudley.

"Sure." Kitty walked inside while Dudley jumped into the car.
"I'll see you…" he laid his head back for a moment and thought. "Tomorrow in the office during shift change." And without another word he hit the gas and left the hall.

Kitty hadn't listened to him, she was too preoccupied searching for something Dudley or the person he probably had met with has left. And to her surprise she found something. A single lost-looking teacup stood on the ground still filled with a brown liquid. Kitty reached into her pocket. She always had a plastic back with her in case she needed to secure evidence.

"Who was drinking tea with you Dudley?" she wondered as she packed the cup into the bag. Something was fishy, Keswick had to see that. Maybe he knew what was in the cup.

-Author's note: So Kitty found a clou, but is a teacup enough to get on the right track?
Well, hope you liked this chapter, next one will be out soon. As always, tell me what you think in the reviews and stay tuned :)-