They had all seen the end of The Darkness incident. They had all been in the courtroom when Akita had been shot by a member of the family of someone he had killed. And, while an investigation had been started, given public and military bias, it didn't last very long. The convicted got off on a technicality after an insanity plea was issued to the district attorney.

The plea was accepted.

Shortly after that, four months had passed without any improvement on Ivan's condition. It was discovered that it was a chemical mixture introduced into his blood system that had caused the coma - where it had come from no one knew, but they were able to discovered that it had activated because of a high stress and adrenaline level - after a very tearful talk with the crew, they had decided to remove life support.

From there on out, DCTU served with the local police, they helped to quell any uprising that was deemed unacceptable by the military. This happened many times as bi-weekly protests seemed to be happening more often than ever before. After a protest turned into an assassination attempt, everyone stepped up their security. But somewhere else, someone was planning to put the planet into an uprising...

And they knew, it would only be a matter of time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

December 15th - Snowing - 2.6 Miles North-North East from Military HQ

Few years after the Original Incident

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What part of snowing streets says 'go faster' to people?" Jackie whined among the whirling winds. With nothing on their tactical radar, the men and women of DCTU had been reduced to traffic duty. "Besides, its too cold." She continued, checking her in unit temp gauge through the window. It read off a frosty 35 degrees.

"It's not that cold." Brea said.

"Easy for you to say, you're covered in fur!"

"Hmm... look at that, I guess I am."

Jackie just growled at her slightly. "Fine, fine... where's Bryan? Thought he was going to meet us here..."

"He got called out to another collision."

"Man, everyone is just sliding out on the ice. It's unreal. I don't even get it, some of these cars don't even touch the ground!"

"Its the friction boosters. Since the ice is there, they've got nothing to react to." Brea responded without a second thought. Jackie just rolled her eyes.

"Damn smart ass cats. I glad i'm a dog lover."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Snowing & Windy - 3.27 Miles South West from Military HQ

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Medics are rolling out, you wanna hang around for the wrecker?" Bryan asked, the question was directed towards Mei.

"Yah, I'll hang. No doubt your going to want to head back to base and snuggle with a certain someone."

"Alright - how long are you guys going to tease me about that?"

"About as long as I can." She concluded, smirking back at him.

He ignored her, shutting his cargo door while rubbing his hands up and down opposite arms in an attempt to warm up. "Sides, how long is it going to be before you and Bill stop flirting?"

"Shut up." She chilled.

"Fine, but all I'm saying is, you're got no grounds to talk."

He sat on the tailgate bumper for a moment before standing back up. "Why don't we have a local wait around? Its not like they can't stand the winter wind."

"Guess you're right."

"Now who wants to hurry back and snuggle."

"Quiet you." She hissed back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

DCTU Headquarters

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Any more assignments? Or can I take get some rest?" Dean asked, setting his holster down on his desk.

"We should be fine for an hour, go get some rest." Bryan responded, yawning himself. He turned on his heels heading down the long hall. He had to admit, he missed the old base, it had that worn, used look. This one... damn it looked brand new.

He turned into the rec room, noticing the some-what quiet music being played from the large couch that they had all carried in. He looked over the back of it to find Brea sitting there, headphone stuck into her ears with music blaring. He looked at the table to see the media player of her choice was actually Mei's CD player and judging by the CD on the table and what Bryan could make out from the headphones, she was listening to Do As Infinity - Or, better yet, he could tell the song was Mellow Amber.

She must as heard him or felt someone watching her, because it wasn't long after he discovered this that she looked up at him, pulling the headset from her ears.

"Spying on me again?"

"Not at all..."

"Right…"

"Anyway we're all tired for the day and a couple of us are heading home. Wanna go grab a bite?"

"Nah, thought we could just hang out around here for the night. Easier."

There was a moment of silence after she had turned off the CD player.

"Still taking heat about the time they caught us sleeping on the couch?"

"Yup, from Mei, you?"

"Bill and Falco."

"Ouch."

"Tell me about you. You would think everyone would grow up already."

"No kidding. What? They've never seen two grown adults take a nap before?"

"Well you have to admit… to them it would seem much more." Brea admitted, a blush former under her fur.

"Oh, Brea - not you too!"

"No, no! I'm just saying… it was a good nap."

Another awkward silence.

"Hey, next time Bill says something to you - ask him where he spent Monday night."

"What do you mean?"

"Jackie said she was bringing up Mei's laundry and knocked on the door. She thought Mei had gone out for a little while so she was going to just put it on the bed and leave. She opened the door and found her and Bill fast asleep in her bed, snuggling no less."

"Owned."

"No kidding. And while Jackie said she wouldn't say a word to me, she told Katt."

"Let me guess… Katt told Falco… Falco told Fox… Fox told Krystal and then told you."

"Bingo. How did you guess?"

"That's the same chain that got us."

"Figures. Know what? I'm bored as hell, sure I can't talk you into going out for a little while?"

"You just wanna buy me dinner."

"We could go out and you could just pay for yourself you know..."

"Point taken. Where do you wanna go?"

"What about that small place down the street?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright - lets go." Bryan finished, holding her jacket out for her after grabbing it off the back of the chair.

Brea nodded, taking her jacket from him she slipped it over her shoulders as they headed for the door.

Once inside the car Bryan started it, turning the heater on right away before even opening the garage doors. They started out, high-beams running and four-way flashers on. The snow was coming down alot harder now, it was a full blown blizzard.

"You know, Falco said that in all his years living here, he's never seen a winter this bad before." Brea commented, loosening her coat to let the cars heat at her.

"Oh yah?"

"Yup."

"Where are they hiding anyway? Only one I saw round base today was Fox."

"Well... Krystal is at home with a cold, Falco is taking care of Katt who got sick as well, though he was in long enough to tease me, Bill has been between General Pepper's Office, R-n-D, and his office at our base for the past three hours... lets see... oh! And James was running around the base with Jackie for a little while, helping her with papers."

"James is helping out at base?"

"Yah, kid's fourteen now. It isn't even like Fox or Krystal asked him to help out, the kid just shows up."

"Anyone paying him for his help at least?"

"I tried too, but he just told me he didn't want it."

"Kid's got heart."

"Yup," Brea laughed. "Probably got it from his mother. I figured that since Christmas is coming up I'd get him something real nice."

"Åw, how sweet." Bryan responded jokingly. "I remember we used to get rounds from our own gun cage from you."

She laughed at him. "If you had paid me better..." She trailed, letting her sentence hang.

They were quiet until they had reached the Diner. "Man, can't believe this place is open during the storm." Bryan said between shivers as he ran with Brea from the unit to the door. "Probably a safe harbor for anyone trapped in the storm!" She called back over the wind.

Bryan had the door already open for her to just run through, which he quickly followed her in. They sat in a corner booth. Brea removed her radio from her belt, setting it on the table after adjusting the volume on it so as not to disturbed any of the other patrons. Bryan adjusted his too, leaving it on his belt however.

"Think after this we should swing by the house? See how Krystal and Katt are doing?" Bryan asked.

"Yah. Gotta say, its so much easier living in the same house with everyone." Brea was scanning her menu to see what was good, all the while using a claw to clear her ear of unwanted snow. "We'll order some soup to go for them." She said a moment later.

The waitress was a petite lupine. She couldn't have been any older than twenty-four, of course, being a regular at the Diner, they had seen her many times before.

"You two, again? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were mated." She quipped, sliding the little order booklet out of her apron.

Bryan nearly choked and Brea seemed to laugh at him. "Not yet, Jen. So, who's workin' the grill tonight?"

"Davis, so don't order anything with grease already in it."

"Hmm... alright. Let me get large soda, and one of those omelet wraps." Bryan ordered.

"I'll get the same... oh, and Jen? Think you can put two tomato soup orders in for to go?"

"Sure thing, but why two?"

"Krystal and Katt are feeling down and out. Figured they'd need a pick me up."

"You guys got it. I'll even make it myself." She said, tapping the menu's on her hip before walking back towards the kitchen.

"If it wasn't for Davis working today, I probably would have ordered a burger."

"Thought you didn't like the ones on Corneria?"

"Don't get me wrong, Brea. I miss Earth food, but the stuff here takes the same, even if it is some chemical compound and a substitute."

"Amen to that." Was her response, just as the food came.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

DCTU House

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Fox." Brea called, opening the door before as Bryan quickly shut it after he entered.

"You guys are back, eh? Mei and James got here a few minutes ago. Bill said he was on his way, his place has no heat." Fox said, eyeing the two containers in Bryan's hands.

"What's that?"

"Oh! Soup for Krystal and Katt." He said, handing them over to Fox. "Can you deliver them? I'm going to take hot shower."

"Dispatch to Five-five David. Adam, Boy, and Truck two are responding to another accident. Code three, suspected serious injuries."

"Or not." He sighed, grabbing his radio of his belt. "Five-Five, I copy." He said, reaching for his keys. "Hold up Bryan, I'll go with you." Brea called, following him out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks to the ABS brakes on the unit, they were able to stop it on the very icy stretch of road.

"Five-Five David advice, the road here is beyond slippery, alert which back-up units in route."

"Copy, alerting medics and fire."

Bryan looked over to see Brea taking off her boots.

"What are you doing?" He asked, fixing his jacket to protect himself from the wind.

"My feet will get cold, but I'll be able to keep my traction in the ice." She said, hopping out of the car.

Bryan nodded, getting out as well. He slid slightly towards the wreck, stopping himself by leaning on one of the cars.

"Holy shit." He hissed, seeing neither of the passengers moving inside the car.

"Dispatch! Alert eight-eight-seven. Tell Mei we need her here, she'll be able to get her faster than the medics will."

"Copy. Dispatching 887 Medic."

Bryan wedged his fingers under a part of the crushed door, pulling hard he was able to free it. He stumbled back a bit, though when he slid towards the car again he was able to regain is balance. Brea was running as fast as the conditions would allow her to, she was carrying the first aid kit in one hand, and extra blankets in the other.

She tossed two blankets up on the roof of the car before rushing over to the next car. Bryan stuck his head in the car, pushing to fingers to the fur's wrists to try and feel for a pulse.

The pulse was weak, but still there. The driver was slouched forward, head pressed against the steering wheel.

"I've got two lives ones over here!" Brea called. "They're awake and responsive. They're even about to walk around." She finished, packing her stuff up and running towards him. "What do you got?"

"An adult and a kid. Neither moving nor awake. I've got a week pulse on him, not too sure about her just yet." Bryan said, looking up momentarily to see Brea pry the other door open to assess the little girl.

"Here." She said, handing him a neck restraint. He applied it to the driver before pushing him back slightly so that he was flat on the seat. "Oh my god."

The surprises kept coming.

"Guys I'm a minute out. You'll be hearing my siren any second." Mei called over the radio.

"Dispatch! I need emergency services and medics here right now!"

"They're pulling a code three, hold tight."

"What do you got?" Brea asked, not looking up from the girl.

"I'm looking right into the face of Wolf O'Donnell over here." Bryan called back over Mei's siren as she pulled up. Other sirens in the distance told all of them that emergency services and medics were not too far out.

"What do you got?" Mei asked, sliding over in the same fashion Bryan had.

"I'm looking at Wolf O'Donnell and possibly his daughter. Both out. I don't see any bleeding and they appear stable." Brea filled her in while the two from the other car stood at the side of the road, wrapped in blankets.

"Alright, we can't move him until the medics get here with a back board. What about the girl?"

"She appears fine. She was strapped in tight and her pulse is good. I've got a neck brace on her, but I don't think she'll need it."

Mei set down her kit, jumping up onto the hood of the car before jumping down on the other side. Bryan watched her reappear in the doorway on the other side. She pressed two fingers to the neck of the young girl. "Her spine isn't twisted of anything…" She assessed out loud.

"Want to try and move her to a warmer area?"

"Hold on, she's waking up."

A moment later there was a faint sob before a full on cry was heard.

Mei looked up at Bryan before back down to the little girl.

"Sweetie, you need to calm down ok? My name is Mei, I'm going to help you, alright?"

The sobbing continued, though it had gone down a few decibels.

"Alright, good. Just take a few deep breaths, ok? Now… can you tell me how old you are?"

"I'm only seven." She said between sobs.

"Good, good. What about your name?"

"Lindsay O'Donnell." She choked out.

"Ok, Lindsay. Do you feel any pain anywhere."

"I don't think so. Where's my daddy?"

Bryan almost jumped when Wolf let out a ragged breath.

"Listen to them, Lindsay. They know what they're doing." He rasped out.

"Daddy!"

"I'm fine. Just listen to them."

Mei continued on with the little girl.

"Hey Wolf, welcome back to the world of the conscious." Bryan said, folding a blanket around him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was hit by a truck. What's going on?"

"Alright, well, for one thing, you were hit by a large vehicle. You're daughter is just fine, Mei's taking care of her. I've got a neck brace on you, so don't try to turn alright? Medics are on their way, we're going to get you guys to a hospital."

Wolf struggled to open his eyes.

"Take it easy." Bryan hissed, looking up to see Mei lifting Lindsay out of the car. "I'm going to stash her in a unit and keep her warm. She's just fine."

Bryan nodded, tending back to his patient just as the medics rolled up.

"Medic 32, on scene."

"This is dispatch, we copy."

"Wolf the medics are here, ok? Any family you want us to contact?"

"Little girl's all I got. Hey, do me a favor…" His voice was still raspy as he closed his eyes again.

"Yah, what do you need?" Bryan asked, about to be pushed out of the way by a medic.

"Don't let the pup see me till I'm actually awake. Don't want him getting ideas."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mei was sitting in one of the chairs with Lindsay. She was watching the younger wolf color on some paper while Bryan approached a doctor.

"What can you tell me?"

"Well… medics described the way the car had ended up… I'm surprised that he made out as he did. He's got a broken wrist, a broken leg. Two cracked ribs, and a hairline fracture in his hip bone. Other than that he should be fine. He'll be sore for a long time and he'll have a headache for a day or two. But other than that, he's set."

"Yah, thanks."

Just then, Fox came running down the hall.

"Hey! I just heard, is he ok?"

"Whoa! Calm down, he's just fine. But no one goes in till he wakes up."

"Man… when I found out who it was, I thought I wasn't going to have a top-notch rival any more… I'm just glad he's okay. Besides, he saved my life more times then I care to count."

"I know what you mean. You can wait around here if you want, I'm heading back to the house. Its been a long shift and I'm too tired to stay awake much longer."

"Alright, just do me a favor and check up on Krystal for me?"

"Sure thing."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, are we doing presents this year?" Brea asked, getting out the car and making a run for the house.

"I guess so… no one's really said much about it."

She stopped at the door, turning around to give him a brief hug. "Hope you like what I got you." She said, before disappearing into the doorway. Bryan grinned before following her into the house. Everyone was sitting around, though Falco had propped himself up on Katt's hip, fast asleep at that.

Krystal had moved from her room to the couch as well, Jackie was sitting next to her, and in between Krystal's sniffles, he could hear giggles.

"What are you two doing?" Bryan asked, leaning over the back of the couch.

"Just look at some photos." Jackie said, pointing to one of them. "Look, its Fox, Bill, and Falco at the academy."

Katt looked over at the two. "Hold it up, I wanna see."

Jackie picked up the book, holding it up and leaving a finger to point at the picture they were looking at.

"Aw, little Falco was so cute." She said, giggling and pretending to pet the one she had sleeping on her.

Bryan just laughed. "Women, I swear." He said, heading up towards his room to change and get ready for a shower.

Meanwhile, James came flying down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey, were are you going?" Krystal called to him just as he was about to push the door open.

"Just to get a snack."

"No, not until after dinner."

"Mom, please?"

Krystal stared at him for a moment. "Alright, but a small one! And if you don't eat your dinner…" She warned. James nodded. "Thanks, Mom."

James opened one of the cupboards, only stopping when the phone rang.

Out in the living room, Krystal heard her son shout to her. "Mom! It's General Pepper! He's looking for Bryan!"

"Take a message, dear."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bryan shut the door behind himself, stepping lightly towards the seating before the desk.

"James said you called." He said, seating himself.

"Ah, yes. Well… the public is going crazy about your actions during the Darkness Incident. You guys are the biggest hero since Star Fox rolled in. Now with that said… a few of my higher-ups feel like its time for the public to get an inside view of your lives."

Bryan blinked a few times. "Wait… you're not saying…"

"They've asked that you allow them to set up cameras inside the house and around the base… they also want a crew to follow you and your people around."

"What? General, you seriously can't consider this!"

"Whoa, hold on. There is something in it for you guys too. You guys let them do this, and you guys get a hefty new budget."

"A new budget just for letting a crew follow us around… how long?"

"One month."

Bryan looked off to his right for a moment… "How big of a budget are we talking?"

"They are talking upwards up fourteen million."

"That much?"

"I know it seems like a lot, but - in light of recent events and threats… we feel you'll need it."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… No one said anything to me about any threats… I knew of the attacks, but no threats."

"Really? I find this surprising, General Aramov was supposed to report to you."

"She did no such thing… General, what kind of threats have been filtering in?"

"Well… no calls as of late… but I, myself, have received two letters. Jill at M-TAC has received one, and Dracous had gotten one as well." He read off, pulling open one of his desk drawers.

Bryan was silently taking notes in his head. "Everyone directly involved with the Darkness incident has received one." He said, trailing off as Pepper handed him two papers in plastic bags.

Bryan read over the letters, grimacing twice as he read them. "They're very… graphic."

"Yes, they are. But they name no names or dates. Just a threat. Not even demands."

"It's suspicious I'll say… want me to keep an eye on it?"

"Well… you have some shady connections and know some people… see what you and your team can dig up. But keep it quiet! We don't need the public hearing about this, they believe the cold war is over."

"If only they knew, eh?" Bryan responded, reaching for the vibrating object in his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hey, its me. Listen, the police just called into our dispatch center. Forensics snagged Wolf's car before it was towed to the repair shop… Bryan the wires to the friction boosters were cut." Brea said, keeping her voice down.

"Could it have been an effect from the crash?"

"No way man, these things were a clean cut - I've seen stuff done by knives and scissors before, but these are clean, real clean."

"Alright… take a drive and sit outside his house, I'll meet you there in a little while." Bryan said, hanging up the phone.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes… you know about Wolf's accident, right?"

"Uh sure… it was on the news."

"His breaks were cut, that thing was no accident."

Pepper stared back at him for a moment, Bryan hoped he was thinking the same thing he was.

"Suspicious… he was involved in the incident… you think someone is carrying out a threat?" Pepper asked, fumbling through his desk again.

"I really don't want to think that… his little girl was with him…" Bryan sighed, rubbing his temples before standing up. "I have to go, meeting Brea at his house to play a hunch."

"Hold on a minute!" Pepper called after him. Bryan turned around to see him signing a paper.

"Just to cover the paper work, take this warrant with you." He said, holding it out.

"Thanks."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The wind had long subsided, but the snow was still coming down and it was still too cold for anyone in their right mind to venture outside. Of course, dedicated city workers and police officers were out and about, including the DCTU team.

Bryan pulled his unit to a stop behind another one. This one was marked with the number "90-D" on the back bumper.

It's been a while since she drove her own car around. Bryan mused, getting and after hitting a few switches so that his light bar flashed through the snow, warning others of their presence so that they weren't rear ended.

He knocked on her window, waiting for her to step out.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked, shrugging her coat on.

"Well… threats have been mailed to some people who were directly involved with the Darkness incident. And since Wolf was one of the few that delivered one of the fatal blows, it wouldn't surprise me if we searched the place and found a letter mailed to him too."

"That's nice and all, but aren't you forgetting something?" She asked, eyeing him slightly.

"Nope." He said, taking the folded warrant out of his back pocket, tapping it on her right ear, which twitched under the touch of the paper.

She continued to give him her look. "Not that, how are we going to get in? We don't have a key…"

"What do we always do if we don't have a key?"

"We blow down the… what! No, Bryan! Its not a hostage situation!"

"Calm down! I wasn't going to put a C2 charge on it. It looks like an old frame and a hinge door, we'll just give it a kick." He said, walking up towards it.

Brea followed him, looking at one of the windows to see if she could see an open window so they didn't have to destroy a door. Not much to her surprise, none of them were - though much to her surprise, she saw the curtain move.

"Hey, Bryan, didn't Wolf say it was only him and his daughter that lives here?"

"Yah, why?"

"The curtain just moved, someone's in there." She said, jolting a thumb towards the window.

Bryan un-holstered his weapon without thinking while Brea did the same.

He knocked on the door. "Police, open up! Search warrant!"

A crash was heard from inside the house. Bryan took a step back lifting his leg up he nailed the door right above the handle. It flew off its lock, hitting the wall with a thud. They searched the entire house, only to find a broken window in the back.

"Damn it, he's gone." Brea cursed, holstering her sidearm.

Bryan looked around the living room, looking at random pictures hung up or posted on shelves in frames.

"Mostly him and his daughter… except for this one…"

The one he was referring to was one of Wolf, his daughter - no older than two - and a snow white lupine, obviously female.

"What do you think, the little girl's mother?" Bryan asked, picking the picture up to see it better. "Probably. Lindsay does have the gray and white from them."

"I wonder what happened to her." Bryan continued to wonder, setting the picture back down.

"This might explain it." Brea called from up the stairs. Bryan followed her voice to a bedroom. Judging by the size of the bed, it was Wolf's.

Brea was looking at a newspaper clipping, Bryan stepped up behind her, reading the headline.

"Loving Wife Killed in Military Raid." He read aloud. "Marie O'Donnell was killed today in a Military led raid on a suspected underground casino. Police say that she was caught in the crossfire between police and suspects in the building. Marie herself was not in the building, but on the street when the incident broke out. The forensics labs have yet to be able to tell where the fatal shot had come from, the military, or the suspects. Marie O'Donnell leaves behind a daughter, four, and a loving husband."

Brea shook her head. "That's sad."

"I'll say…" Bryan agreed. "Poor little girl too, she was just starting off when all this happened." He finished, turning around and looking through a stack of papers.

"Ah ha! Found it!" He said, holding up the paper by the edge, fishing out an evidence bag from his inner jacket pocket.

"I knew we would find one of these here." He said, holding it up to read.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Man… we've got a lot of stuff to get done." Mei said, shutting the door quietly behind her. Once again, the DCTU house had become a safe haven for another unfortunate soul, in this case, Wolf's little girl.

"How is she doing?" Bill asked.

"She'll be fine. She's just tired. Bryan said that him and Brea found a threatening letter at Wolf's house. Brea says that his friction booster wires had been cut."

"So… attempted murder?"

"Appears that way."

Mei sighed, taking a step forward and giving Bill a hug. "I feel a war coming… it feels like its going to be big."

He sighed, pulling her closer. "It's ok. We'll make it through."

Bryan cleared his throat and the two stepped apart quickly.

"Hope I didn't interrupt anything but… house meeting in four minutes in the living room. No exceptions… if you're late, we'll come looking for you." He said, turning around. Before he hit the stairs he called back. "And Bill, check your chin - you're drooling."