Chapter 15: The Facility

The Facility

Xero and Vlad appeared where the flash had come from, but they were too late. The person taking pictures of them was gone. They searched for anything the photographer, or more likely, spy, might have dropped while making his or her escape. This fur was no idiot. Along with dropping nothing, he did not even leave pawprints. Xero swore and took one last look around before taking Vlad's wrist and speeding them back over to where they had left Longinus.

Longinus laughed and pointed to Vlad. Xero looked and laughed as well. Vlad's eyes had widened so much tha they might be mistaken for headlights, and his pupils were barely there. His fur was pulled backward, making him appear as if he had just stepped out of a wind tunnel.

Vlad raised a shaking paw. "I can't travel that fast. I've never done it before, and I've no desire to do it ever again."

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Longinus said with a laugh.

"Really? You let him drag you across buildings like that and see if the air doesn't rip off your skin." Vlad replied, trying to smooth out his fur.

Longinus appeared behind Vlad. "I don't need him to drag me."

"Whatever. Listen, leaving seems to be a bit risky at the moment. We have to assume that the police are on to us, lest we slip and get caught."

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The three of them agreed that three weeks would be enough for any eyewitnesses to forget their faces. By now, they had been in Longinus's apartment for two of those three weeks. Xero left a couple times to get food while Longinus and Vlad planned, given that he was the fastest and least likely to be caught.

It was decided that when they reached the hospital in their scrubs, Vlad would cut the power to the building. They had learned that the medical center now stored its old records in an area below the hospital. Longinus's job was to get into that area and find anything with Xero's real name, Malik Black, on it. His job would be made easy with the confusion after cutting the power. On the outside, Vlad and Xero would defend Longinus by keeping out anyone stupid enough to try and stop them.

"I'm not one to complain, but this seems too simple." Xero said, running a paw through his hair. The three of them were sitting on the floor of the apartment in a circle, or that which could be made of one could be made with only three furs.

"I agree." Longinus added. "What if there's someone in the basement?"

Vlad reached into his coat and pulled out a black Desert Eagle and handed it to Longinus. "You protect yourself."

"What if something happens to you two?"

"I'm touched that you worry," Xero replied, "but I know several ways of getting blood out of clothes."

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The three stood on the edge of the rooftop that led to the apartment. It was time to search the hospital. They had the plan etched in their minds, and now they stood in hooded capes that Xero, with minimal difficulty, had managed to guide Longinus through multiplying. Beneath their capes were the hospital scrubs Xero had stolen three weeks ago. Beneath the scrubs were still bulletproof vests. Vlad had made a trip back to his home and retrieved headsets to they could stay in touch, and a full armor suit for Longinus. The younger Wolf could still shrug off a gunshot, but the fact remained that until they could get his collar off of Xero, he would be mortal. If the pain did not kill him, surely blood loss would, if not shot to the head.

"So, you're both clear on the plan?" Vlad asked.

"Ask us that again, I  dare  you!" Xero hissed.

"Calm down, kitty." Longinus chuckled. "Check your mics."

Vlad and Xero turned their headsets on and tested them with a few choice words to one another, then gave Longinus an affirmative gesture.

"All right, lets go." Longinus closed his eyes for a few moments, then opened them. They had turned red, as they had back at Vlad's place.

"Keep calm, Longinus." Xero warned.

A black cloud swirled around them from nowhere. It started out as a thin mist, then became a heavy fog before completely blocking out their surroundings. Not even sight of the moon was granted to them. The fog got heavy and soon it was hard to breathe. Xero had never realized how bad it was to teleport. To their relief, the compression began to lift. The Panther looked over to Vlad, who was coughing a little. He eye turned to Longinus to insure that he had not been taken over again.

"Everyone okay?" Longinus asked.

"I'm fine." Vlad replied. Longinus looked to Xero, who nodded.

"All right," Vlad said, checking to make sure they were on the right rooftop, " I don't need to go over the plan again. Begin...now." Longinus and Xero disappeared, leaving Vlad to his task.

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"Orderly!" A nurse called.

"Aw crap." Xero said. He turned and jogged back toward where he heard the nurse. It was a short vixen with reddish-orange fur.

"Yeah, nurse, what is it?" Xero asked.

"Ms. Murray needs a little cleaning up." she said, gesturing to an open door down the hall. Her face gave away the unpleasant nature of the job she had just passed to Xero.

 D****T!

 Calm down... Longinus thought to Xero, barely stifling a laugh as he caught up.

Xero nodded and started down the hall. Longinus turned to walk away, but suddenly let out a loud yelp. He turned back to see that Xero had reached back and grabbed his tail.

"What?!" Longinus exclaimed.

"Oh no, Chuckles, you're helping!"

Longinus growled, showing his teeth. Xero countered with a murderous glare and baring his claws.

"Aw, why do I have to help?! She asked you!"

"Stop being such a baby, Maurice."

Maurice?!

 Or I could call you Longinus and blow the mission. The frown that accompanied Xero's glare turned into a grin.

... B*****d ...

"Fine, Cecil ." Longinus replied with a grin almost as evil as Xero's, which by now had faded. The Wolf could tell that Xero wanted to hit him. He could see the Panther opening his paw, which had definitely been a fist a few seconds ago.

Xero let go of Longinus's tail and started walking. He spoke when he was sure the nurse would not hear him.

"That was hateful." Xero said.

"You asked for it with Maurice."

"That's nothing compared to Cecil!"

They just as they reached to room, everything went dark.

"Thank GOD!" Xero and Longinus said in unison.

Vlad had done his job well. Not even the emergency lights worked when he cut the power. When their eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the Wolf and the Panther bolted off toward what they had determined to be the older end of the hospital.

"Remember, don't look for 'Xero'." the Panther said as they twisted around and jumped over the other furs. "Malik Black."

"Right."
 

Author's Note

okay, if i haven't corrected yet, i changed xero's real name from bartholomew to malik.

Reviews

[Forist.johnston]

'� Longinus's job was to get into that area and find anything with Xero's real name, Bartholomew Black, on it. His job would be made..'

Found one. =]