Valion and Corvus both stroll up to the bouncer, a rhino who's skin has scars to prove his experience. His black shaded sunglasses staring at their approach as his muscles almost puff out in response. They delicately reach in front of one another as Corvus peers around him before leaning toward the large rhino, his words softly escape his beak. "I'm here to see Akira Hirosashi."

  The rhinos eyebrows raise at the request, as if the mere mention of that name holds its own personal weight. The rhino turns toward the large steel door at his back, as he raises a curled hand toward it, tapping his knuckle three times against its surface. A small slot on the door quickly slides open in response, and another rhinos eyes peer through it as they hold their conversation. "He's here to see the Boss again." The rhino inside huffs a large breath through his nostrils as he steps away from the door.

  The sounds of club life pour through the slot in his absence briefly, but as his large frame returns to the slot, it gets blocked out once more as a series of clunking and gear turning can be heard radiating from the door into the night sky. After a few moments, the door slides open revealing the inside of the clubs backrooms. Smoke is flowing through the air from expensive looking cigars as card tables with high-roller gamblers surround them all over the space.

  Liquor is sloshed around the glasses of several patrons as they banter and yell at one another. Corvus and Valion both carefully enter into the backrooms amongst the gamblers and patrons of questionable reputation as their gazes look them up and down, silently assessing them.

  The rhino breaks their gazes and they quickly return to their previous activities out of carefulness. the chips on the table shudder slightly with each step the rhino takes as he leads them down the hallways, past more gambling tables and even a few rooms were presumably late time payees of Akira were being punished. Their muffled screams echo of the walls as the reach deeper into the more protected bowels of the club.

  The guards in the deeper areas of the club are all distinctly Hyena of descent, their spotted fur dominates the species around these deep areas, getting even more dominant as the rhino finally leads them to a black elegant door. "He's in his office. Now be respectful, or ill have to escort your bodies out of here." His specific choice of words cause Valion to wonder about his temperament, but his thoughts dissipate as Corvus leads him toward the door, placing his wing on the handle and turning it slowly to enter.

  "Let me do the talking." He commands as they both enter into the beautiful office room. The walls are decorated in red velvet, and the floors are made of black marble with a fancy purple carpet leading from the door to an expensive appearing desk. The elegant design was inlayed with gold, and the physical design was overly complicated. On top of the desk, a still smoking cigar burned away in its ashtray as it fills the room with the slight aroma of coffee. Scattered next to the ashtray was several folders, and papers.

  They were either highlighted in several places or covered in black ink for secrecy. behind the stacks of papers sits a rough looking hyena. His neatly pressed suit and delicate haircut accompanies the battle scars visible on his chest, and most notably a large gash of a scar across his right eye. The rings on his fingers reflect what little light there is in the room, and his muscles bulge out through his shirt.

  His hands are intertwined in front of his mouth as his commanding voice booms from his seat towards the pair at his door. "So, You finally decided to visit me once more, aye Corvus?" as the statement leaves his lips, his hands unwind, as he gestures with an open palm toward Valion. "And who's this? a friend of yours?"

  Corvus shoots a glance over his shoulder toward his partner, before answering. "Something like that. Listen, i need to call that favor in. But before that, i have some business for you-" His wing reaches inside his saddle bag, pulling out a sack filled with credits, while slowly approaching his desk. Akira's eyes carefully assess the approaching crow, as the sound of credits perks his ears up.

  He gestures toward the empty space in front of him on the desk, to which Corvus places the sack slowly in front of him as instructed, letting the credits spill out, revealing the quantity inside. Akira reaches toward the stack gleaming in front of him, as he takes a single credit between his nails, twisting it backward and forward as he inspects every crevice. Silence settles in the room as the faint sound of club life sneaks through the door before the hyena finally lets out a satisfied high pitched cackle.

  "I see, and what services are you hoping to purchase with this little fortune you've given me?" The crow lets out s small sigh, as his nerves ease slightly before responding. "What i need, is information. You know the whereabouts of a Dr. Stannis Bremucubro. The U.S.N have him hiding inside his safehouse until further notice. We need to know where it is, and what kind of resistance to expect there." The hyenas toothy grin spreads wide across his face and his eyes narrow to slits.

  "Ahhhh! how interesting!" His head turns toward the intercom sitting at his desk, as his claw pushes in a direct line to one of his lackeys. "Bring me the Dr. Stannis's file please! and double time it. I dont want to keep my guests waiting." His hospitable tone causes a stir behind the pair, as a hyena henchman jogs at a high rate toward the door, before slowing down to politely push it open. His sweat drops around him as he carefully approaches Akira, and even more carefully holds out the file in his hands.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The hyena quickly grabs it from his paws as the henchman slinks back to the door he came through. "Ahhhh! that's right! Downtown from here. Pretty dangerous, and my sources tell me its now quite guarded." The hyenas amused smile spreads across his mouth as a raised eyebrow accompanies the look.

  His claws flick through several pages contained within the folder before closing it shut, and tilting it toward Corvus, whom with a careful wing, reaches out toward the folder to grasp it. As his wings took hold, the hyena pulls the crow in toward him, as a warning is whispered between them.

  "I ain't gonna tell you your business, but if i catch even a WHIFF of trouble from you bringing the heat here? I wont hesitate to hunt you down. Got it?" The hyenas claws bared themselves as did his teeth, though in an aggressive growl rather than any smile. Corvus's simple reply was to nod silently, while avoiding eye contact with the Hyena's green colored eyes, that shined almost like emeralds in the lighting he sat in.

  As he returned to his partners side, he handed him the folder while whispering his own advice into his partners ear. "Be quick, and please, don't let anyone see you or call for backup. Eliminate them all if you have to." His words stirred a primal urge within Valion, who shifted uncomfortably as he stood at his own unusual reaction before taking the folder and quickly scanning it.

  As he flipped through the pages at a rapid rate, his helmet took in the information instantly, and inserted it into Valion's mind. With a quick turn, he jogged through the doors as he passed the security toward the backdoor.

  SWOOSH

  The large metal door flies open before screeching as it reached the end of its hinges. Once outside, Valion fell onto all four of his limbs, his claws digging into the concrete before launching himself into the night sky, landing amongst the buildings that littered the streets and using them as springboards to approach his destination.

  The brick he clung to crumbled slightly at his approach and departure, as it tumbled downward like amber rain. His movements were precise, like a skilled dancer as he rapidly approached the address he has seen like a missile. In the darkness, he spotted several soldiers. Each wearing highly protective gear, and wielding fully charged and amplified laser weapons. After spotting the soldiers in the distance, he clung onto the walls he passed to reduce his speed, scraping the bricks as he passed before coming to a complete stop on the side of a building.

  As he monitored the situation below, a familiar voice begun to speak in his mind, the same voice when he was forced to wear the mask.

  "Ha ha ha. I knew we were meant to be~ you cannot resist the hunt, just like me" His deep voice was eerily familiar, as his hairs stood on end in response to each word. His own internal monologue fought with it inside his own mind.

  "Shut it. We are nothing alike. You're just a tool for me." The silence within his mind caused him to become unsettled before it spoke once more.

  "if you need these guards out of the way, then you need my powers." A pained frown grows on the visor in response. "yeah? you think so huh?"

  His eyebrow furrows as his free hand balls up into a fist of resentment. The Experiment however, responds earnestly. "Look, we're in this together now. Like you said, I'm just a tool. So why are you so afraid to use me?"

  His eyes close at his statement as his thoughts raced about the events that transpired in the bunker. The voice reacts to his memories, as if viewing them alongside him.

  "ah! i see. You're afraid of what i did. Can't you see? THEY made us do that. THEY MADE US! We could've been separate our entire existences but THEY made the MONSTER. So why try to act like we aren't? Why be afraid of what we are, rather than embrace it?"

  His eyes stay shut as he contemplates a response before finally speaking his mind.

  "If i gave in... If i let go of what i am, id be proving him right" The face of Galvion flashes in is sub-conscious, every displeased look he ever gave him raced past in his memory.

  "How can the condemned judge the living?" The experiments words linger in his mind as it falls silent, leaving him alone with the wind as it blows through his fur like a river of air.

  Finally his eyes re-open with a changed sense of self as his own saliva builds in his mouth. A new hunger has accumulated within him as his powerful limbs launch himself once more deep into the shadows nearby the Dr.'s safehouse. The soldiers around it already have their weapons readied as their patrols circle the building, their radios intermittently crackling to life with orders and check-ins.

  SLICE, SPLURT.

  Valion sticks to the shadows as he strikes from them, his razor sharp claws precisely aimed at the enemies throats. The blood splattering along the concrete beneath them as they fall to their knees, unable to recover.

  The pause in the radio check in's cause the rest of the guards to become highly alerted, but the ones still alive were to late to realize they were being attacked. Valion's fur stained with crimson glides between the last of the soldiers, his arms and claws flowed like water as the blood of his enemies followed closely behind, causing the last of the soldiers to fall to the ground, as their life slips through their fingers clutching at their throats.

  Valion slowly strode toward the large graffiti covered door, clanging his claw against it. A rush of rustling emanated from behind the door before the slot on it opened, revealing a large pair of eyes behind an even larger pair of spectacles as a meek voiced called out in shock, then familiarity.

  "OH! I've been expecting you!"

  If you have the time, please leave a comment telling me if you like the way it is, or if you prefer it shorter/longer! id love to try and accommodate to as many readers as i can! And leave your thoughts as well as to the story or my writing in general! I'd love to hear your opinions! It will all help me to grow and more importantly to engage with my readers!!! :D

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