Obligations
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Graying Blood
Chapter 4: Obligations
***
Abby sat across from Gideon in his office, dressed in her officer's uniform with Mary the ratatta sitting beside her. The nidoking passed each a thin packet of papers. "This is your next mission," he said plainly as they took them.
"Could you provide a brief outline, sir?" asked the zangoose in that distant tone she saved for such tasks.
"Gladly. A few of my agents in Yeva's headquarters have informed me that three members of the Inquisitorial Branch came to her two days ago. While no one but Yeva knows the nature of the conversation, I am certain that it is not in the Team's best interest."
The zangoose eyed the blank cover of the packet before looking up to the Executive again. "Eliminate them?"
"You will find everything you need to know in there." He watched her lift the first page, noticing her eyes widen for a moment. "Is there something wrong, Agent Abigail."
"No, sir," she answered blankly.
He smiled. "Good." The zangoose was turning out to be a more valuable asset than he anticipated. "Just remember: your results effect Theodore."
***
That night, Theo slowly limped to Gideon's quarters, being escorted on each side by Shako the marowak and a female glaceon soldier. The nidoking looked a little better by this point, able to stand and move around slowly again and his back spines were starting to regrow. His new scars still remained bandaged up for the moment, on display without a shirt on.
His vision looked to be staring far, far away. The concrete hallways of the headquarters only passed the nidoking by slowly. This felt too familiar. It was the same way he met Datan for the first time: beaten and humiliated...escorted down a long hallway to meet his new master. He was a timid nidorino at the time; he might as well be again before Gideon.
The nidoking's heart began to pound as he reached the doors, Shako and the glaceon taking up guard beside it. "Don't keep Lord Bloodquill waiting," Shako said distantly, not wanting any part in what was going to happen. Theo gave a small nod and pushed the wood double doors open to enter the Executive's living room.
Gideon was sitting there on the couch, his coat thrown over the back with his couch with his shirt open to reveal those matching scars of his to the smaller nidoking. He had a glass of brandy in his paw, another empty glass and the bottle sitting on the table. "Good evening, Theodore," Gideon greeted warmly, a small grin on his muzzle as he patted the seat beside him. "Sit down...have a drink with me. That is an order." He watched the younger nido male hesitantly approach him as he poured a glass for him, offering it to Theo as he sat down. "I am so glad to see you're walking again."
Theodore didn't give him a response, just staring down into his glass as his ears folded down. This interplay of brutality and kindness sickened Theodore, he could almost see Datan sitting in Gideon's spot. The larger nido let his grin become fanged, pulling off one of Theo's bandages to reveal a jagged wound down his right pectoral plate. It was closed up, but nowhere near healed. "That was the first one Lilith gave me Theodore. And now I've given it to you." He didn't even try to fight back, shamefully taking a few large sips off his glass as the next wound was undressed by his new master. "And this was the second...and the third." He ripped off the covering of a long gash which crossed from his belly to the younger nidoking's lower back. "I think they suit you. You agree, right?" He let his tail trail up one of Theo's inner legs. "Mm?"
"Uh...yes, Lord Bloodquill," Theo muttered, his large ears folding down the the sides of his head as he felt the tail begin to brush around between his legs. His stomach then fell through as it slid down and into his pants. The smaller nidoking closed his eyes, growing hard despite his wishes.
The larger male let his spines bristle as he licked along the edge of one of Theo's ears; he had Theodore where he wanted him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He rubbed at the smaller male's sac, watching him hiss and tense as his sheath thickened. "Yes. You get off on being dominated, don't you? Rhombus...Datan. I know so much about you." Theodore shook for a moment, still keeping his eyes averted from Gideon's as he took another drink. "It is strange for a nidoking. Thaddeus would have never tolerated this." His grin grew broad as he saw Theo shrink further, sheath thickening. "I have won. Haven't I, Theodore?"
The small nidoking kept his head low, finishing the glass before his eyes hesitantly met Gideon's.
***
The interrogation room. Dull yellow light... bare, cold concrete walls. It smelled strongly of cigarettes. There was several pools of dried blood on the floor beneath the table along with some other stains. The absol panted raggedly, bound to a chair with a paw held to the table by a feathered hand, several broken fingers sticking up at unnatural angles.
Another one went with a wet crack. The absol bit his lip, eyes squeezing shut as he drew a trickle of his own blood, trailing down his jaw.
"Where is the traitor, Theodore Grayquill, hiding?" asked the farfetch'd again, puffing smoke into the absol's face as he began to move to the next finger.
"I don't know."
"Two left on that paw," warned the duck in a hiss. A weak scream left the disaster pokemon as another sick snap filled the room. "Now there is one. Know where he fled to now?"
Alexei shook his head. He was rewarded by a cigarette being ground into his bare shoulder, adding the scent of burned fur to the already stagnant air.
"Don't break useful stock, Agent Datan," warned a shadowed figure in the corner. It was a male voice: collected and soft-spoken, but intimidating all the same. All Alexei could see was the glint of a monocle and blood-red business suit.
***
"Yes, Lord Bloodquill."
Gideon let his tail slip out from Theo's pants, moving to stand before offering a paw to the other male. "Good. Come with me." Theodore took his paw and he helped the smaller nido up before moving to his bedroom door, beckoning for his new pet to follow him.
Theo felt his body grow weak for a moment at what he saw inside, wanting to look away. Sophia was chained to the bed, stripped bare and on her back. The nidoqueen didn't even acknowledge their entrance, staring emptily at the ceiling.
***
The duck turned his head and sneered at the shaded figure. "Fuck off. You forget that I'm in charge of this place now."
"I'll remind you our master wouldn't approve of too much of this," responded the hidden pokemorph in the same soft tone. "He does not want to lose an ally over this."
Datan stepped back, waving a frustrated paw at the absol before pulling out another smoke. "Fine." He flicked his silver lighter out and lit up. "If you think you can do a better job than me, then do it."
The obscured male stepped out of the dark corner of the room. He was a gaunt, older looking hypno with a monocle; under the lens, Alexei could see he had a red eye, the other one being light blue. "Hello, traitor, I am Corrections Agent Hadley." The absol gave the psychic-type a blank look as he took Datan's spot in front of the table. "You are being very uncooperative with Agent Datan," he said in the same soft, but menacing tone.
Alexei did not respond.
"He's not going to break yet," muttered Datan after taking a long drag of his cigarette and tapping some ashes off onto the floor. "You're wasting your time: you don't have the stomach to do what I do."
Hadley ignored the duck, reaching up for his monocle. "You are troublesome, absol," continued the hypno. "Your mind is a labyrinth to me-- as are those of all dark-types. However, unlike many, I know the way." He pulled the lens off and the absol did his best to look away. The red eye took a glow.
***
The younger nidoking took a step back toward the door, only to have Gideon's tail slap his ass.
"Get to it,"ordered Gideon. He stood in the door frame, continuing to give Theo that predatory grin.
Theo's gave the older nidoking a horrified stare, feeling weak in the limbs and voice for a moment. "W...what?" He was answered by Gideon reaching downward to unfasten his pants.
"Fuck her." He watched as Theo's froze up, his purple hide going pale.
"No." He was rewarded by a hard elbow to the chest, falling hard to the stone tiles as one of his chest wounds tore open.
Sophia snapped from her daze, looking up as she saw her younger brother crumple to the ground, slowly dripping his red blood onto the white tile. "Theo!"
Gideon's gaze drifted to her. (Shut up, whore,) Gideon growled low in wild pokemon speak before bringing his attention back to the smaller male. "Get up. Now."
***
Alexei strained in the chair, the cuffs cutting into his bound paw. He snapped and snarled; the hypno just stood there, his miraculous glowing eye piercing the dark-type's defences. Just as suddenly as the absol resisted, he collapsed on the table in exhaustion, panting heavily with his eyes closed.
"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Alexei could hear the hypno say, cracking his eyes open to see the psychic-type make his way to the door. "You can do with him as you wish now, Datan. Just don't do anything permanent."
Alexei could hear the slam of a heavy steel door followed by a hiss from the duck. "Fucking psychics. So arrogant. That faggot thinks he can run my operations here." The scent of smoke became stronger as Datan paced up behind his chair. "Where were we, now?"
Alexei nearly jumped upright in his bed, reaching for his sidearm on the nightstand. He let the paw rest on the cold metal of the gun for a moment, looking around the dark room, lit by the pale light of the moon. He took his weapon in paw: there was an unfamiliar scent in the air of the house. He slipped it under the sheets and closed his eyes again.
***
Theo tried to obey, but only tore the wound open further. With a pained groan, he fell again, smearing the tiles and his white plates in red. Gideon was smirking down at him.
"Get up," he ordered.
"Stop it!" Sophia cried out, eyes watering. "He can't take anymore. Stop...please!"
***
He could hear the door knob begin to turn. The absol kept his eyes closed, flicking the safety off, as the hinges quietly opened. His sensitive nose could pick up a female scent, a zangoose. The hinges stopped creaking and the scent grew stronger; it belonged to Abigail.
The absol's eyes cracked open to catch a glint of a claw over him in the dull moonlight. He rolled as it came down, ripping through the mattress as he fell off, aimed his sidearm upward and fired. In a deafening muzzle flash, he saw the zangoose shift and dodge his aim, the bullet shattering his computer monitor.
She was upon him again before the absol could get a chance to get up, leaping over the bed to dive down upon the disaster-pokemon. A hard upward kick caught her in the gut, eyes bulging as she sprawled out on the floor, winded by the blow.
At the same moment, there was a crack of wood and a thud, the door flying off its hinges to slam down on the floor as Rhombus charged in, assault rifle in paws and fixed on the downed zangoose female. "Don't move," she growled in a dangerously low tone, fangs bared.
"You need to get out of here," the zangoose woman replied in a flat voice. "If I don't report back tonight, an enforcement squad is going to be doing housecleaning here."
"Why are you warning us?" the arcanine shot back, keeping her weapon trained on the cat-ferret. "Did Yeva send you?"
"Gideon did. He has eyes and ears everywhere; be more careful in your dealings within the Team."
The arcanine kept her finger on the trigger guard. "Now, I have another question: why are you so forthcoming with this? You just tried to murder my subordinate."
Abby shrugged. "I wasn't trying to; I still have to look like I am trying to obey orders. I can't have him punishing Theo for my insubordination. I'm also a professional: if I wanted you dead, it would have already happened."
"I knew you were trouble from the day he picked you up," the arcanine said back with a small grin. "You looked so timid, but I knew there was more to it."
***
Theo made another attempt, whining low as he got up. The nidoking staggered back a step, more of his blood dribbling down his plates and onto the floor as he slowly crossed the room. Sophia shook her head at the sight, giving Gideon another pleading stare. He just responded with an annoyed growl, watching from the door.
"Please don't make him do this."
Gideon ignored her. "There you go, Theodore. Doing as you're told. It's actually a little disgusting to watch; I'd die before being made into anyone's plaything. Why don't you turn around right now and fight me?" The smaller nidoking didn't even look back. "Look at what you're doing, Theodore. You are going to fuck your sister because I told you to. Shameful."
The smaller nidoking did as ordered.
***
Terra the alakazam was in the seat of the Governor of Sinnoh; being such a new organization, Team Galactic lacked the already in-place infrastructure of the older Team Rocket, opting to instead use the resources of the previous government without many dramatic or revolutionary changes. She was watching the speech Gideon had given a few days ago on a large computer display on the opposite wall. Faust stood to her left and a tall, heavily-built machoke male stood to her right. All three were dressed in matching dark-teal suits with small golden G lapel pins.
As the recording finished, Terra began to adjust one of the silver rings on her mustache. "I almost can't believe he's attempting nuclear brinkmanship."
"It strikes me as a perfectly reasonable course of action for him," the machoke male said calmly. "Team Rocket cannot be beaten from outside with that deterrence: tanks will never enter their capitol; this is not going to do much good for their diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, though."
Terra glanced sideways to the machoke. "I hope you're right, Commander Mercury. While there is precedence for unstable dictators becoming saner with such weapons, I feel safe saying Gideon is an entirely different breed from my experiences with the man. While he has a civilized veneer, there is only a self-centered beast under it. One that would see what he wants burn if he cannot have it."
"Then should I authorize the rearming of our own missiles?"
"Yes, Commander. Would you also make sure that Gideon is informed that we are doing this?"
***
Abby leaned back against the front door to Rhombus' house, phone to her ear as she watched the arcanine's car pull out and drive off into the night. "Affirmative, sir. The three suspected dissidents appear to have left awhile ago. I don't see why your agents should waste your time on this tonight. Well, I'm glad you see things my way. Good night."
The zangoose sighed and clicked the phone shut, leaning further back against the door. She bought them some time while selling her own.
Graying Blood
Chapter 4: Obligations
***
Abby sat across from Gideon in his office, dressed in her officer's uniform with Mary the ratatta sitting beside her. The nidoking passed each a thin packet of papers. "This is your next mission," he said plainly as they took them.
"Could you provide a brief outline, sir?" asked the zangoose in that distant tone she saved for such tasks.
"Gladly. A few of my agents in Yeva's headquarters have informed me that three members of the Inquisitorial Branch came to her two days ago. While no one but Yeva knows the nature of the conversation, I am certain that it is not in the Team's best interest."
The zangoose eyed the blank cover of the packet before looking up to the Executive again. "Eliminate them?"
"You will find everything you need to know in there." He watched her lift the first page, noticing her eyes widen for a moment. "Is there something wrong, Agent Abigail."
"No, sir," she answered blankly.
He smiled. "Good." The zangoose was turning out to be a more valuable asset than he anticipated. "Just remember: your results effect Theodore."
***
That night, Theo slowly limped to Gideon's quarters, being escorted on each side by Shako the marowak and a female glaceon soldier. The nidoking looked a little better by this point, able to stand and move around slowly again and his back spines were starting to regrow. His new scars still remained bandaged up for the moment, on display without a shirt on.
His vision looked to be staring far, far away. The concrete hallways of the headquarters only passed the nidoking by slowly. This felt too familiar. It was the same way he met Datan for the first time: beaten and humiliated...escorted down a long hallway to meet his new master. He was a timid nidorino at the time; he might as well be again before Gideon.
The nidoking's heart began to pound as he reached the doors, Shako and the glaceon taking up guard beside it. "Don't keep Lord Bloodquill waiting," Shako said distantly, not wanting any part in what was going to happen. Theo gave a small nod and pushed the wood double doors open to enter the Executive's living room.
Gideon was sitting there on the couch, his coat thrown over the back with his couch with his shirt open to reveal those matching scars of his to the smaller nidoking. He had a glass of brandy in his paw, another empty glass and the bottle sitting on the table. "Good evening, Theodore," Gideon greeted warmly, a small grin on his muzzle as he patted the seat beside him. "Sit down...have a drink with me. That is an order." He watched the younger nido male hesitantly approach him as he poured a glass for him, offering it to Theo as he sat down. "I am so glad to see you're walking again."
Theodore didn't give him a response, just staring down into his glass as his ears folded down. This interplay of brutality and kindness sickened Theodore, he could almost see Datan sitting in Gideon's spot. The larger nido let his grin become fanged, pulling off one of Theo's bandages to reveal a jagged wound down his right pectoral plate. It was closed up, but nowhere near healed. "That was the first one Lilith gave me Theodore. And now I've given it to you." He didn't even try to fight back, shamefully taking a few large sips off his glass as the next wound was undressed by his new master. "And this was the second...and the third." He ripped off the covering of a long gash which crossed from his belly to the younger nidoking's lower back. "I think they suit you. You agree, right?" He let his tail trail up one of Theo's inner legs. "Mm?"
"Uh...yes, Lord Bloodquill," Theo muttered, his large ears folding down the the sides of his head as he felt the tail begin to brush around between his legs. His stomach then fell through as it slid down and into his pants. The smaller nidoking closed his eyes, growing hard despite his wishes.
The larger male let his spines bristle as he licked along the edge of one of Theo's ears; he had Theodore where he wanted him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He rubbed at the smaller male's sac, watching him hiss and tense as his sheath thickened. "Yes. You get off on being dominated, don't you? Rhombus...Datan. I know so much about you." Theodore shook for a moment, still keeping his eyes averted from Gideon's as he took another drink. "It is strange for a nidoking. Thaddeus would have never tolerated this." His grin grew broad as he saw Theo shrink further, sheath thickening. "I have won. Haven't I, Theodore?"
The small nidoking kept his head low, finishing the glass before his eyes hesitantly met Gideon's.
***
The interrogation room. Dull yellow light... bare, cold concrete walls. It smelled strongly of cigarettes. There was several pools of dried blood on the floor beneath the table along with some other stains. The absol panted raggedly, bound to a chair with a paw held to the table by a feathered hand, several broken fingers sticking up at unnatural angles.
Another one went with a wet crack. The absol bit his lip, eyes squeezing shut as he drew a trickle of his own blood, trailing down his jaw.
"Where is the traitor, Theodore Grayquill, hiding?" asked the farfetch'd again, puffing smoke into the absol's face as he began to move to the next finger.
"I don't know."
"Two left on that paw," warned the duck in a hiss. A weak scream left the disaster pokemon as another sick snap filled the room. "Now there is one. Know where he fled to now?"
Alexei shook his head. He was rewarded by a cigarette being ground into his bare shoulder, adding the scent of burned fur to the already stagnant air.
"Don't break useful stock, Agent Datan," warned a shadowed figure in the corner. It was a male voice: collected and soft-spoken, but intimidating all the same. All Alexei could see was the glint of a monocle and blood-red business suit.
***
"Yes, Lord Bloodquill."
Gideon let his tail slip out from Theo's pants, moving to stand before offering a paw to the other male. "Good. Come with me." Theodore took his paw and he helped the smaller nido up before moving to his bedroom door, beckoning for his new pet to follow him.
Theo felt his body grow weak for a moment at what he saw inside, wanting to look away. Sophia was chained to the bed, stripped bare and on her back. The nidoqueen didn't even acknowledge their entrance, staring emptily at the ceiling.
***
The duck turned his head and sneered at the shaded figure. "Fuck off. You forget that I'm in charge of this place now."
"I'll remind you our master wouldn't approve of too much of this," responded the hidden pokemorph in the same soft tone. "He does not want to lose an ally over this."
Datan stepped back, waving a frustrated paw at the absol before pulling out another smoke. "Fine." He flicked his silver lighter out and lit up. "If you think you can do a better job than me, then do it."
The obscured male stepped out of the dark corner of the room. He was a gaunt, older looking hypno with a monocle; under the lens, Alexei could see he had a red eye, the other one being light blue. "Hello, traitor, I am Corrections Agent Hadley." The absol gave the psychic-type a blank look as he took Datan's spot in front of the table. "You are being very uncooperative with Agent Datan," he said in the same soft, but menacing tone.
Alexei did not respond.
"He's not going to break yet," muttered Datan after taking a long drag of his cigarette and tapping some ashes off onto the floor. "You're wasting your time: you don't have the stomach to do what I do."
Hadley ignored the duck, reaching up for his monocle. "You are troublesome, absol," continued the hypno. "Your mind is a labyrinth to me-- as are those of all dark-types. However, unlike many, I know the way." He pulled the lens off and the absol did his best to look away. The red eye took a glow.
***
The younger nidoking took a step back toward the door, only to have Gideon's tail slap his ass.
"Get to it,"ordered Gideon. He stood in the door frame, continuing to give Theo that predatory grin.
Theo's gave the older nidoking a horrified stare, feeling weak in the limbs and voice for a moment. "W...what?" He was answered by Gideon reaching downward to unfasten his pants.
"Fuck her." He watched as Theo's froze up, his purple hide going pale.
"No." He was rewarded by a hard elbow to the chest, falling hard to the stone tiles as one of his chest wounds tore open.
Sophia snapped from her daze, looking up as she saw her younger brother crumple to the ground, slowly dripping his red blood onto the white tile. "Theo!"
Gideon's gaze drifted to her. (Shut up, whore,) Gideon growled low in wild pokemon speak before bringing his attention back to the smaller male. "Get up. Now."
***
Alexei strained in the chair, the cuffs cutting into his bound paw. He snapped and snarled; the hypno just stood there, his miraculous glowing eye piercing the dark-type's defences. Just as suddenly as the absol resisted, he collapsed on the table in exhaustion, panting heavily with his eyes closed.
"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Alexei could hear the hypno say, cracking his eyes open to see the psychic-type make his way to the door. "You can do with him as you wish now, Datan. Just don't do anything permanent."
Alexei could hear the slam of a heavy steel door followed by a hiss from the duck. "Fucking psychics. So arrogant. That faggot thinks he can run my operations here." The scent of smoke became stronger as Datan paced up behind his chair. "Where were we, now?"
Alexei nearly jumped upright in his bed, reaching for his sidearm on the nightstand. He let the paw rest on the cold metal of the gun for a moment, looking around the dark room, lit by the pale light of the moon. He took his weapon in paw: there was an unfamiliar scent in the air of the house. He slipped it under the sheets and closed his eyes again.
***
Theo tried to obey, but only tore the wound open further. With a pained groan, he fell again, smearing the tiles and his white plates in red. Gideon was smirking down at him.
"Get up," he ordered.
"Stop it!" Sophia cried out, eyes watering. "He can't take anymore. Stop...please!"
***
He could hear the door knob begin to turn. The absol kept his eyes closed, flicking the safety off, as the hinges quietly opened. His sensitive nose could pick up a female scent, a zangoose. The hinges stopped creaking and the scent grew stronger; it belonged to Abigail.
The absol's eyes cracked open to catch a glint of a claw over him in the dull moonlight. He rolled as it came down, ripping through the mattress as he fell off, aimed his sidearm upward and fired. In a deafening muzzle flash, he saw the zangoose shift and dodge his aim, the bullet shattering his computer monitor.
She was upon him again before the absol could get a chance to get up, leaping over the bed to dive down upon the disaster-pokemon. A hard upward kick caught her in the gut, eyes bulging as she sprawled out on the floor, winded by the blow.
At the same moment, there was a crack of wood and a thud, the door flying off its hinges to slam down on the floor as Rhombus charged in, assault rifle in paws and fixed on the downed zangoose female. "Don't move," she growled in a dangerously low tone, fangs bared.
"You need to get out of here," the zangoose woman replied in a flat voice. "If I don't report back tonight, an enforcement squad is going to be doing housecleaning here."
"Why are you warning us?" the arcanine shot back, keeping her weapon trained on the cat-ferret. "Did Yeva send you?"
"Gideon did. He has eyes and ears everywhere; be more careful in your dealings within the Team."
The arcanine kept her finger on the trigger guard. "Now, I have another question: why are you so forthcoming with this? You just tried to murder my subordinate."
Abby shrugged. "I wasn't trying to; I still have to look like I am trying to obey orders. I can't have him punishing Theo for my insubordination. I'm also a professional: if I wanted you dead, it would have already happened."
"I knew you were trouble from the day he picked you up," the arcanine said back with a small grin. "You looked so timid, but I knew there was more to it."
***
Theo made another attempt, whining low as he got up. The nidoking staggered back a step, more of his blood dribbling down his plates and onto the floor as he slowly crossed the room. Sophia shook her head at the sight, giving Gideon another pleading stare. He just responded with an annoyed growl, watching from the door.
"Please don't make him do this."
Gideon ignored her. "There you go, Theodore. Doing as you're told. It's actually a little disgusting to watch; I'd die before being made into anyone's plaything. Why don't you turn around right now and fight me?" The smaller nidoking didn't even look back. "Look at what you're doing, Theodore. You are going to fuck your sister because I told you to. Shameful."
The smaller nidoking did as ordered.
***
Terra the alakazam was in the seat of the Governor of Sinnoh; being such a new organization, Team Galactic lacked the already in-place infrastructure of the older Team Rocket, opting to instead use the resources of the previous government without many dramatic or revolutionary changes. She was watching the speech Gideon had given a few days ago on a large computer display on the opposite wall. Faust stood to her left and a tall, heavily-built machoke male stood to her right. All three were dressed in matching dark-teal suits with small golden G lapel pins.
As the recording finished, Terra began to adjust one of the silver rings on her mustache. "I almost can't believe he's attempting nuclear brinkmanship."
"It strikes me as a perfectly reasonable course of action for him," the machoke male said calmly. "Team Rocket cannot be beaten from outside with that deterrence: tanks will never enter their capitol; this is not going to do much good for their diplomatic relations with the rest of the world, though."
Terra glanced sideways to the machoke. "I hope you're right, Commander Mercury. While there is precedence for unstable dictators becoming saner with such weapons, I feel safe saying Gideon is an entirely different breed from my experiences with the man. While he has a civilized veneer, there is only a self-centered beast under it. One that would see what he wants burn if he cannot have it."
"Then should I authorize the rearming of our own missiles?"
"Yes, Commander. Would you also make sure that Gideon is informed that we are doing this?"
***
Abby leaned back against the front door to Rhombus' house, phone to her ear as she watched the arcanine's car pull out and drive off into the night. "Affirmative, sir. The three suspected dissidents appear to have left awhile ago. I don't see why your agents should waste your time on this tonight. Well, I'm glad you see things my way. Good night."
The zangoose sighed and clicked the phone shut, leaning further back against the door. She bought them some time while selling her own.