Small Changes By: Fox Cutter Chapter 4 "Whoa! Now wait just a moment!" Fox said, jumping to his feet, holding his paws in the air. "Aren't you being just a little bit hasty?" Wrede paused, narrowing his eyes to slits as he glared at my husband. Both of the guards had their weapons trained on him. The panic he clearly had to feel didn't show on his face, but I could see it in the way his tail sweep against the floor behind him. "Who are you?"tThe disfigured cat asked, "and why should I wait?" Fox gulped, but relaxed almost imperceptibly. "I'm just a visitor here," he said, taking a few steps to the side. "But I do have some minor interest in what's going on. Personally I don't care one way or another about your cause, or what you do to achieve it. But I'm here now, and I would rather not be killed because of it. As for who I am, my name is Fox Cutter." The cat frowned, and sighed. "Should that name mean something to me? Frankly I don't care a lick about you, and you are about to die." "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Fox asked, glancing back towards me, and motioning with his head toward one of the guards. He turned back around to face Wrede, "You have no idea what kind of tools I have... I'm sure we could come up with some sort of trade." Baxter tensed up behind Fox, his jaw clenching tightly as a look of anger flickered over his face. He glared hard at my husband's back, hard enough to drill a hole through him. Fox moved a bit more to the side, and smiled slightly, his tail flicking behind him, and against the floor. A smile of my own tried to creep over my muzzle when I realized he had stepped between me and the first guard, blocking his view of me. Both of the guards, like everyone in the room, had their full attention on Fox, ignoring me completely. Wrede frowned, and shook his head. "What kind of tools?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. Slowly, I slid my needler from its holster, and held it firmly in my paw. Running my finger over the firing stud, I was glad I had left it on stun; it meant that I wouldn't need to fiddle with it, and attract attention. Aiming the needler from my hip, I thought back. It was going to be a hard shot to make, but one Marn had trained me to make. Sadly, it was a skill I hadn't kept up on, so I was unsure of the shot. With a deep breath, and a short prayer to Thryn, I pressed the firing stud. The second guard seemed to deflate, and began to crumple towards the floor. Wrede noticed it immediately, twisting around to stare at the guard as he landed hard on the tile floor. "What is going on?" he demanded. Fox twisted to the side, pulling his gun out in a fluid motion. His move gave me a clear shot at the second guard, who was starting to react. This time I had an opportunity to properly aim at him, and I took it. A moment later he joined his partner on the ground. "You know," Fox said with a smile, his gun pointed at Wrede. "Instead of a trade, how about you just go to prison? That seems pretty fair to me, wouldn't you agree, Detective Baxter?" The large bear turned, his own gun free of its holster, and aimed at the disfigured feline. "I think so," he said with a grunt. I walked over to the first guard, kicking his gun away from his limp paw. He was still breathing, which was good. Even if I was using a stun needle, I wasn't sure it wouldn't have killed him. Strictly speaking, he did have a different biology than they were designed for. Wrede smiled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm impressed," he said with a distorted smile. "That will teach me to listen to someone like you." He tisked slightly, walking towards Fox and Baxter. Baxter walked towards the feline. "You're coming with me," he said, and then abruptly came to a stop as he walked into something. He frowned, reaching out with his free paw, and pressing it against a transparent wall that seemed to bisect the room. "You have got to be kidding me," Fox said as he walked over to stand by the bear. He reached out to touch the wall with one paw, pressing on it firmly. He gave it a couple of quick raps with his fist, sending a warbling echo through the room. "Probably bullet proof," he muttered. The feline laughed, and smiled at us. "What? Didn't you think I would be prepared for something like this? I knew you would get here eventually, just not this soon." He turned on his heel, and limped towards a door at the back of the room, his tail flicking just over the floor. "How stupid," he grunted, and slipped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. "Grab the cop, Oriana," Fox said, turning to look at me. "We've got to get out of this room. There's no telling what other surprises he has in store for us." I returned the needler to its holster as I dashed towards the fallen officer. Wrapping my arms under his, I lifted him up, and started to drag him towards the door we had come in through. Baxter got to the door first, his gun still held in his paw as he pushed it open. He glanced out into the hallway for a moment before pulling his head back. "It's clear," he said pushing it all the way open. Fox followed behind me, limping slightly, as I dragged the officer through the open door. He was light, so it didn't take much effort. As we walked past the Detective, he bent down and removed the officer's radio from his belt. We rushed back the way we came, heading for the front door. My husband had taken the officers legs, though I could see how it hurt his arms, from the look of pain he tried to hide. At the same time Baxter was on the radio, calling for backup, and getting the attention of the officer outside. "Hold up," my husband said, coming to a stop as we passed through the intersection with another hallway. "What is it?" Baxter asked, sliding to a deceptively fast stop for his size. Fox frowned, setting the officer's legs down and taking a step down the other hallway. "I think I just saw Wrede," he said, and nodded down the hall. The bear frowned, his pistol still in his paw. He glanced towards the exit and the door to the lobby, only fifty feet away from us, then back towards Fox. "Can you get him out on your own?" Fox asked me. I nodded. He glanced at Baxter, and took another step towards the hallway. The bear nodded in return, and with a sudden burst of speed, both of them started running down the hallway, Fox's limp showing more acutely at the faster speed. When they reached the end of the corridor they turned to the right, and vanished. With a grunt, I lifted the officer again, and started towards the glass security door that stood between me and the lobby. The door stopped me, but only for a few moments. Setting the guard down on the floor, I pulled out my needler, and pushed the door open. Glancing around the door I could see the secretary had fled, leaving it empty. Satisfied that it was all clear, I put the needler away, and retrieved a heavy book from the desk, using it to prop the door open. Returning to the officer, I picked him back up, and dragged him out into the lobby, moving around the desk, towards the front doors. The other officer was at my side as soon as I got to the door. He took his partner's legs, and we hurried over to the squad car, finally setting him down on the grass. In the distance I could hear the wail of sirens as more cops headed in our direction. Hopefully an ambulance was coming along with them. I stood up, looking at the office building as it rose into the night sky. There was no movement in the lobby, but I worried that it didn't mean anything. It occurred to me that buildings had more than one exit. Loading docks, stairs, emergency exits, even a parking garage. There were dozens of ways that Wrede could slip out without being noticing. "How long till the backup gets here?" I asked. The officer glanced up at me. "About six minutes." I frowned. I didn't think that was going to be fast enough. "Does this building have a parking garage?" "I don't know," he replied, looking worried. I bit my lip, shifting on my feet in the dew-covered grass. "Give me the keys to the car, I'm going to block whatever garage this place has." He paused, looking a bit concerned. He started to say something, then glanced down at his partner. With a sigh he fished his keys from his pocket, and threw them to me. I caught them in mid-air. There were a dozen keys on the ring. "Which one?" I asked. "The red one," he replied. I fished the key out as I dashed to the driver's side door. Slipping behind the wheel I glanced over the controls. It was the basic design, the usual collection of peddles and wheel. Thankfully it was an automatic, I wasn't in the mood to struggle with an oddball manual transmission. It started right away, and I slipped it into what I guessed was drive. I got lucky, and the car almost jumped forward as I tapped the gas. Pleased with its responsiveness, I gunned it forward, and took it around the corner, driving along the side of the building. With another turn I was behind the building, passing a small loading door before I had to turn again. As soon as I rounded the corner, I spotted the parking garage. A heavy steel door blocked the entrance. There was no way I was getting in there. Now I just had to make sure no one could get out. I drove the car up to the entrance, stopping a few feet away from the door. Then with a slam of my bare foot, I hit the accelerator, the car jumped forward, and crashed into the door. It wasn't enough to break through, but it bent the whole works inwards, and knocked a section off the track. It effectively prevented anyone from opening it without a lot of work. Putting the car in reverse, I backed it out of the steel door. Further down the side of the building, I could see what looked like an emergency exit. I pulled the car up along side it, scraping the side against the building, to block that exit as well. I shut down the engine, and slid out of the car, taking the keys with me. It wouldn't do to leave them in the ignition so someone could come along and move the car. With no other potential exits in sight, I started back for the loading dock, sliding my needler into my paw as I rounded the corner. Climbing up the short steps, I walked towards the door. It was still closed, but I could see the handle start to move as I approached. Crouching back into a fighting stance, I pointed the needler at the door, my thumb resting on the firing stud. I could hear police cars pulling up out front, the sirens snapping off as they came to a stop. The handle of the door jiggled a couple more times, before it finally twisted, and the door began to swing outwards. I tensed as I watched it, pressing my thumb against the firing stud, holding back just enough to keep it from firing. A face looked out from the edge of the door, only glancing out for a moment, too fast for me to get off a shot. Still, I recognized Baxter's face. "He didn't come this way," I shouted, dropping the needler to my side. He grunted, and nodded, pushing the door open, and stepping outside. "Good." "I also blocked off the parking garage, so he's not going to be driving out of here," I told the bear as I walked towards him. He nodded again, holding the door open for me as I stepped inside. "Where's Fox?" I asked. "We split up," he replied, glancing down at the needler as I walked into the building. "Do you know which way he went?" He nodded, letting the door swing shut, then fished out a pair of handcuffs from his pockets. Using them on the door, he connected the handle to the railing next to it. "Let's go, then," I said, starting up the steps towards the single door that was hanging half open. The bear rushed past me on the steps, causing me to let out a soft huff. He was the first through the door, and hand his gun drawn. "Come on," he said to me. It was a bit late, as I was already walking through the door after him, and was not in the mood to allow him to clear the path for me. He glanced at me, and turned to the left, moving briskly down the hallway. "Have you found anyone?" I asked, keeping pace at his side. "We've seen Wrede a few times, but only glances," he replied, turning a corner. "From what I can see there isn't anyone else in the building." "That's good to know," I said, fingering my weapon. "The backup arrived just before I came in. They should be coming in soon." He smiled and said, "I know, I still have the radio." "Right," I replied, slightly embarrassed that I had forgotten something as simple as that. We turned another corner, moving along a length of office doors. Most of them were open, showing empty rooms on the other side. "This place is a complete front," I commented, glancing at the empty rooms as we went past. The detective nodded, as he turned another corner, and started up a flight of stairs. I could hear movement as we came out onto the second floor. We turned as soon as we came out of the stairwell, heading towards the sounds. We passed another open door. This time there was some sort of lab on the other side. From the short glance I got of it, it looked like it actually had been in use. Baxter came to an abrupt stop, grabbing my arm and pulled me back a few steps as we came to the source of the sound. Through the doorway, standing with his back to us was Wrede. He had a gun in his paw, pointing it Fox, who was standing on the other side of the room, behind a desk. From look of various piles of paper that covered the surface, I would guess he had gotten busy snooping, and Wrede had surprised him. Baxter pulled me back a few feet, out of view of the feline. I could hear him and my husband talking in hushed tones, but the words were too muffled to understand. "We need to take him out," the bear whispered to me. "That gun of yours, can you use it on him?" "I can stun him," I replied in kind, deciding not to mention the more lethal options held in it's chamber. He nodded, but frowned. "All right, do that before they kill each other." I slipped my arm out of his paw, and moved quietly back towards the door, holding my needler at the ready. It only took moments before Wrede's back came into my view. This time Fox saw me, a small smirk playing over his muzzle, his ears tilting forward slightly. Without saying a word, I fired a needle into Wrede's back. The feline stumbled forward for a second, but didn't fall down. Instead he twisted around and glared at me, rising to his full height. Anger was etched into his ruined face as he let out a low growl. I fired a second but time, with the same result. It wasn't having an effect on him. A moment later Fox crashed into his back, sending them both flying forward, through the door. It happened so fast that I wasn't able to move out of the way, and I went down as well. Wrede's gun, and my needler went flying across the floor. We were all struggling, Fox and I both trying to grab Wrede. It wasn't working. It seemed like my needles had only made him angrier, which made him stronger. He punched Fox in the face, and got me in the kidneys. Taking the advantage, he pushed Fox off of him, and stood up, only to finding himself facing the barrel of Baxter's gun. I lifted my head, slow to recover, and watched as Wrede twisted, and lunged forward, moving deceptively fast for someone in his condition. He smacked Baxter's gun to the side, and lunged at him, smashing his shoulder into the bear's side. The Detective twisted away, trying to bring his weapon up, but Wrede didn't stop. The feline ran hard down the hallway, and turned the corner before Baxter could get off a shot. "Go after him," Fox gasped, the paw he was using to hold his bloody nose muffling his voice. The detective didn't need any such prompting. He was already running hard after Wrede. I turned my attention to Fox, sitting up, and sliding over to sit next to him. "You OK, Hon?" I asked, the question sounding silly as soon as it slipped past my lips. "I'll live," he said with a smile. "My pride is a little injured, but I don't think he broke anything." I nodded. "I wonder why my needles didn't work." "Maybe he has a different biology?" he suggested with a shrug. "Perhaps, but one of the guards at the lab was also a feline," I commented, but something was stirring in the back of my mind. "Some pain medications can counter act the stun effect." "And with his injuries, he's probably heavily doped up on them," he replied. Before I could reply, an officer came around the corner, lifting her gun as soon as she spotted us. "It's ok," I said, lifting my paws. "We're here with Baxter." She nodded, and lowered her gun. "I was told about you two, I'm suppose to stay with you, for your safety." Fox and I glanced at each other, and he just shook his head, suppressing a smile. "Alright," he said, pulling himself up to his feet. "There's something in here I wanted to check anyway." The officer nodded, walking up to us as she holstered her gun. I stood up as well, taking a moment to retrieve my needler from the floor, and then followed Fox as he limped back into the office. He went right to the desk, moving back behind it and shuffling the papers around, still keeping his fingers pinched against his nose. "I could use your help, Officer," he said, glancing up at her. "I can't read this, but you should be able to." She nodded, walking quickly to stand next to him. "If this is evidence, you shouldn't be riffling through it." "Still, please tell me what this says?" he asked, almost pleading as he picked up a sheet of paper and passing it to her. The officer took it, holding it closer to her lapine face. "I can't read this," she said with a frown. "I don't even recognize the language." She rotated the paper. "It might be Kalaid, but I'm not sure." Fox frowned, biting his lip. "That was something I was hoping not to hear. "Why?" I asked. "I need to look into some other things first, but it makes me worry," he said, letting go of his nose. He snuffled a bit, and ran the back of his sleeve over the pad of his nose. It smeared the drying blood, but none of it was fresh. A squawk came over the officer's radio. She set the paper down, and gave the voice on the other end her full attention, passing a few quick comments back over the line. "We're suppose to go out front," she said. "It's best to leave these things here for now." Fox nodded, walking behind her around the desk, casually picking up the paper on his way past. He angled himself so the officer couldn't see it as he folded it up, and hid it in the inside pocket of his jacket. We followed her out of the office, and back down to the first floor. Navigating our way through the various corridors we quickly came out the front door. A dozen police cars were parked in the grass in front of the building, and I could see the two guards I had stunned laying on the ground, their paws cuffed, and still out cold. Baxter was also there. As he sat on the back bumper of an ambulance, a medic treated a bullet wound on the edge of his arm. He had removed his jacket and shirt, leaving them on his lap as the medic cleaned the blood from his fur. We hurried over to him as the officer headed to her commander. "Wrede get away?" I asked as we came up to him. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Fox was, casually checking the bear out. The detective nodded, wincing slightly as he flexed his arm. "He jumped me near the exit. Took my gun, and used it to shoot me." He shook his head. "I feel like an idiot." Fox nodded, sitting down on the bumper next to him, and letting out a sigh as his weight left his legs. The medic glanced at the blood on his nose pad as he bandaged the bear's arm. "How far do you think he could get?" Fox asked. "I'm not sure," Baxter replied as the medic pulled away. "It depends on if he can get a car. Oriana blocked off the parking garage, so he would have to get one on the street. We're already canvassing the area, trying to find him." "I don't think he's finished," Fox commented, resting his chin in his paw as the medic took a closer look at his nose. Fox snuffed at him, but let him look. "I'm inclined to agree," the bear replied, pulling his shirt on, and closing the buttons on the front. "Someone like Wrede doesn't stop at just this, he has more planned, and if he's free, he's going to try to finish what he started." Fox nodded, brushing his paw through his hair. "There's not much we can do tonight," he said with a sigh. "No, we need to gather evidence about what his plans are before we can act on them," Baxter shook his head, looking at the blood on the sleeve of his jacket. "That could take some time." Fox nodded again, and sighed. "There's not much else we can do to help. We're kind of on a deadline, and if we don't get home by tomorrow afternoon, there's going to be a rescue coming. It won't be pretty." Baxter nodded. "I appreciate your help; people would have died if it wasn't for you two," he glanced at me, and smiled slightly. "I'm not even going to ask you where you got that weapon of yours." I smiled and brushed my skirt. "Weapon? I don't have a weapon," I replied, feigning insult. "Good," he said, rising to his feet. "We had better head back to the station." * * * 07/27/1999: "So-- you need to get into the clock tower?" Baxter asked the next morning, looking a lot better after a short night of sleep, and in some clean clothing. "That was the whole point of our trip here," Fox replied. He looked rested, but a bit rumpled in his clothing. They where the same ones he had been wearing since yesterday afternoon. "Someone left an item up there a few years ago, and we're here to fetch it." Baxter nodded, flicking through a few papers on his desk. "I see. Another alien?" "Yes," I replied, "but he would stand out a bit more than we would. He doesn't have any fur." "Oh?" he replied, leaning back in his chair. "I remember hearing about someone along those lines once. Maybe I can find the file on him." Fox smiled, "That would be nice, but not important. It would be better if we can just get into the tower and get the item. It should take about half an hour, and we won't have to be sneaking around if you escort us." The bear nodded again, shuffling a few files. "I think I can arrange that," he replied. Fox smiled. "Thanks. It will go quickly as long as we don't run into any more dead bodies. Now, on to the topic of my guns, could I get them back?" He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Fox, there's no way I can get them out of evidence." "Even if you dropped the charges?" Fox asked. The bear shrugged, and stood up. "That's not my decision, Fox. My arrest was clean, and pretty hard to refute. There's no way I could talk them out of charging you." "Even if I won't be in town, or even on planet, for the trial?" He asked with a sigh. Baxter nodded. Fox ran his paw through his hair, brushing his ears back, and flicking his tail in annoyance. "I guess I can deal with that. After the trial is over and done with, could I get them back then?" "Confiscated weapons are usually destroyed," he said, "but I'll see what I can do for you. It will be harder to arrange if you duck out of the trial." He nodded, "What kind of punishment should I expect?" Baxter shrugged. "A stiff fine, maybe some community service. If you tick off the judge, you might get a day or two in jail." Fox sighed, "Nothing worse than what's happened before. I'll make plans to be here." "Why?" I asked, walking up to my husband, and slowly running my fingers over his back until they brushed against the base of his tail. "Unfinished business Oria," he replied, smiling up at me. "I don't like leaving with Wrede still on the loose, it offends my sensibilities as a meddler." The bear stood up, and walked around his desk towards the door. He was favoring his good arm, holding his other one close to his body as he opened the door. "Come on," he said, stepping over the threshold. "I'll get you into the clock tower." "Thanks," Fox said, following him out into the hallway. I kept on his tail, running my fingers through the long fur as we walked. He smiled at me, and slowed down until we were side by side. Wrapping his arm around my hips, he pulled me close to his side and nuzzled my neck with his muzzle, his whiskers tickling my mouth. I giggled softly and ran my fingers over the base of his tail as we walked through the hallway. Baxter sent a glance back at us, and smiled a bit as we continued to walk. We made a short stop at the front desk to pickup some keys, before moving on. He led us out of the building, and into the square. The paving stones were cool in the mid-morning light, but not enough to chill me. It was like feeling a fond presence against the pads of my feet. Fox winced slightly as he stepped on a small stone, stumbling as he pulled his foot away. I just shook my head, and held his arm as he regained his balance. "Hon, you better start going barefoot at home, so you can get used to it." "I'd rather not," he replied; sticking his tongue out a bit. "If you're going to be spending a lot of time on my world, you had better," I told him in my native language. He nodded, his attention turning to the Detective as we approached the clock tower. The door looked like it should have originally, locked solidly. The only addition was a piece of bright blue evidence tape between the steel door and its frame. Baxter pulled out a pocketknife, slitting the tape down the middle. When he pulled away, a whole side of the tape came with the blade. "Strange," Fox commented, in a tone of voice that made it clear he thought it was more than just that. "I agree. That shouldn't have happened," was the reply, as he put the knife away, then fished out the keys. In the process he casually open his holster, letting the top dangle free. He undid the first lock, swinging the gate wide, and then opened the second door. Carefully he stepped inside, glancing around. There was a second piece of evidence tape across the closet door where we had found Spider's body. Nothing else had changed from our last visit. "You know, we never did ask how come the door was open in the first place," Fox said, resting his paw against his hip, reaching for the gun that wasn't there. I nodded, slipping my Needler into my paw, and dialing it to the second, unused, stun setting. "Do you still have the notes about where the Wave Transducer is?" I asked him. He shook his head. "They took them with my clothing. But I still remember where it is. It's hidden upstairs," he said, pointing at the steps. Baxter nodded, starting up the steps, one hand on the banister, the other on the butt of his gun. "I hope we're all just paranoid," my husband said, following a few feet behind Baxter. "So do I," I replied, just behind him, watching his vulpine tail hanging low, the white tip brushing over the top of each step. We moved briskly up the stairs, but it wasn't going very fast. There were nearly two hundred of them, winding their way around the inside of the tower. There was a landing in each corner, which gave us a chance to take a short break. Fox needed it more than the rest of us; he was still experiencing pain from the gas. It was minor now, but the climbing was aggravating it. All three of us were panting by the time we rounded the last corner, with only a single short flight between us and the top of the tower. Baxter had a serious look on his face as he climbed the last steps, glancing around as he set his foot on the floor. And in a single moment our paranoia was validated as a heavy board swung out, crashing into the side of Baxter's face and sending him stumbling backwards. His foot slipped off the step he was on, and he went tumbling over. Fox, being just behind the large detective, and by far the most tired of the three of us, had the least amount of time to react, and it wasn't enough. I jumped forward, trying to grab for him to keep him from falling, but everything was going too fast. His fur brushed through my fingers as he and Baxter tumbled down the stairs, in a tangle of limbs. For a moment I stood dumbfounded, my paw outstretched as I watched them hit the first landing, both of them crashing hard against the stone wall. I could see them both moving, trying to untangle themselves. Once I saw they were going to be all right, I returned my attention to the attacker. Gripping my needler firmly in my paw, I turned around and rushed up the last few steps. The attacker was standing just off to the side, taking a step towards the stairwell, to look down into it. I saw him moving at the last moment, and lowered my shoulder, crashing it into his side. He went sprawling; the board he had used to attack Baxter was thrown from his paws as he landed. It clattered over the old wooden floor, and teetered on the edge of the large opening under the clockworks, then slowly fell over the edge. I pulled myself to my full height, planting my paws on the floor and pointing my needler down at Wrede. He was slowly pulling himself up to his feet, his paws held up prone, and a smirk on his muzzle. "I'm impressed. I didn't think you would find me," he said as he slowly stood up, a slight frown on his disfigured face. "We're full of surprises," I said. He laughed, shaking his head, taking a step towards me. I grunted, and held my ground. I doubted that my stun needles would have any more effect on him today than they had the night before, which made them useless. If I could hold him for another minute or two, Baxter and Fox would be back at my side. They would finish with him, taking him to prison to stand trial, and to be locked away for his crimes. This was also the bastard that had tried to kill Fox, even if unknowingly. He had been more than willing to kill however many police officers he could with that gas, or anyone else who might have gotten in the way. He was the type of person I would be going after, if I returned to the Guild. And he wouldn't hesitate to kill me, not unless I killed him first. Deliberately, I dialed the needler over to the lethal setting. As part of myself slipped away, my training took over. "You've killed a lot of people," I told him, condemning him with my words. I didn't intend to let him leave the building alive. "And you're next," he said, and started to rush me. I lunged forward, crashing into his chest, and shoving the muzzle of the needler against his chest. There was a sudden look of surprise in his cold eyes, as if, in that instant, he understood what was happening. I glared back at him, my eyes just as cold as his, and fired two needles into him. He let out a surprised gasp as the toxin hit his system. His eyes were suddenly afire, blazing with hatred and anger as they started to glaze over. I pushed him, pushed him hard, sending him stumbling back on his failing legs, towards the edge of the floor. He rolled back, spinning his arms, trying to regain his balance, but that would never happen. He stepped back over the edge, losing his balance and tumbling backwards, through the open floor. A few moments later I heard the wet slap as his body hit the ground, a hundred or more feet below. "Oriana?" I heard Fox ask from the back of the room. Suddenly reality returned, and I was whole again. Bile started to rise up as I heard Fox rush over towards me. "Are you alright?" I shook my head. "You had no choice," he said, placing his paw on my shoulder, and squeezing it gently. No choice? I had a choice, and I had chosen to be a member of the Guild. I had chosen to follow my training. I had chosen to take the extreme way out in a situation that hadn't yet called for it. I turned around, and wrapped my arms around Fox, pulling him close to me and burrowing my face against him. The pain I felt was real; I had taken a life again. This was the second time I'd done it by choice. It hurt me, deep inside of my soul, and ache that I knew I would have to deal with. Fox was petting the back of my head, holding me tenderly. "What happened?" Baxter said, limping up the top of the steps, blood running down the side of his face. "Wrede's dead," Fox said, stroking my hair, and pointing towards the open floor. He frowned, and limped to the edge, looking down past the clockworks at the ground below. He then turned back to look at Fox and me, nodding as though he understood what had happened. "Why was he even up here?" he asked, holstering his gun. "Because of those, I suspect," my husband replied, pointing at the far wall. I twisted out of his grasp, to look. Lined up against the wall was a trio of large crates. One was open, reveling what looked like a canister of some sort. Baxter walked over to them, looking inside, with a frown on his face. "More gas, and explosives," he said, shaking his head. "Enough to kill everyone in the plaza." Fox nodded. "You go get whatever you need to take care of this. Oria and I will get the item we came for, then slip out of the way." "All right," he said, looking at me. "I'll work out what to put in my report, but I'll keep your names out of it." "Thanks," I said, slipping out of Fox's arms. Baxter stared back down the steps, limping heavily, taking them one at a time as he disappeared from view. "I'm sorry this had to happen," Fox said, placing his paws on my shoulders, and looking me in the face. I nodded, feeling such a strange mix of emotions about what had happened, and what I had done. I felt so strange, not like the last time I had chosen to kill someone, or even when I had been forced to kill to save Marn's life. "I did what I had to do," I said, brushing my hair out of my eyes. I felt like I was on the verge of tears. Slipping out of Fox's paws, I walked over to the edge of the floor, looking down at Wrede's body below. I felt bile starting to rise up, and I twisted away, biting it back, trying hard not to vomit. Fox placed a paw on my back, touching me tenderly. "Love?" he asked. "I'll be OK, Fox," I replied. "Get the item, then we can go home." "Alright," he replied with a nod, and slipping off towards the clockworks. I sat down on the floor, staring at my paws, seeing the blood that covered them, even if only in my mind. I was a killer, a member of the Assassins Guild, just like the insignia on my coat said. In the end, it didn't feel like a big change, returning to the Guild. It was something I had already become used to. It was a part of me, and I was a part of it, and it would remain that way for the rest of my life. ----- This story is copyright 2003 by Fox Cutter. Hardcopy reprints limited to one per person, all other rights reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission of the author, and this copyright notice may not be removed.