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Getting past what they are to see if they can be the person the other needs.", "count": "26", "submission_left_submission_id": "1631939", "submission_left_file_name": "2328417_TerraMGP_by_necessity_score.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1636902", "submission_right_file_name": "2335616_TerraMGP_by_necessity_fortnight.doc" }, { "pool_id": "64597", "name": "Great Tree Saga", "description": "An attempt at the chronological list for all great tree saga stories. Does not incldue side stories.", "count": "65", "submission_left_submission_id": "1545586", "submission_left_file_name": "2192262_TerraMGP_by_necessity_view.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1512475", "submission_right_file_name": "2142781_TerraMGP_10._9._8.doc" } ], "description": "So yeah, 100 Submissions.\n\nI know that some of them are gifts I got and the like, and as such I'll celebrate again when I have 100 of just my own work. Buuut, wow. This is huge. I didn't even realize it was this close. It seems fitting though. Considering these two stories are finishing one of the mini-arcs I've been planning for a while now. Also considering, well, If you read it hopefully you will see why.\n\nI was prompted by those close to me that they needed resolution to the last cliffhanger, which is why I wrote this pretty much right after the last part rather than resting. Riding a writers high. It wasn't as long as I thought it would be, but I think for now at least it's as long as it needs to be. It also helps set things back into where they should be for a while.\n\nSo, happy 100th to me, I guess. Thank you all so much. Especially thank you to\n\n[iconname]MoniBunny[/iconname]\n[iconname]Kittehlil[/iconname]\n[iconname]Danaume[/iconname]\n[iconname]rubbervixen[/iconname]\n\nYou guys know why. Thank you, and thanks to all my readers.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "So yeah, 100 Submissions.

I know that some of them are gifts I got and the like, and as such I'll celebrate again when I have 100 of just my own work. Buuut, wow. This is huge. I didn't even realize it was this close. It seems fitting though. Considering these two stories are finishing one of the mini-arcs I've been planning for a while now. Also considering, well, If you read it hopefully you will see why.

I was prompted by those close to me that they needed resolution to the last cliffhanger, which is why I wrote this pretty much right after the last part rather than resting. Riding a writers high. It wasn't as long as I thought it would be, but I think for now at least it's as long as it needs to be. It also helps set things back into where they should be for a while.

So, happy 100th to me, I guess. Thank you all so much. Especially thank you to

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoniBunny\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoniBunny\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKittehlil\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKittehlil\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDanaume\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDanaume\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trubbervixen\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trubbervixen\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t


You guys know why. Thank you, and thanks to all my readers.", "writing": "By Necessity: Split\n\nBy TerraMGP\n\n\tEveryone had a cache. At least that's how it worked when you ran with a gang. Stations were always full of places to stash gear. Maintenance hatches, unused air vents, long abandoned sweeping drone pods. The tarot probably had a few dozen just from the past few years. No doubt all of them bugged.\n\n\tFor her the only one close enough to matter was a personal one. Kanina found herself wedged behind the small access path leading to the power conduits behind the noodle stand. The old conduits were thick, the kind of heavy duty cables used back when the station was being constructed and the outer rings were still the only finished rings. Naturally centuries of wear and use had seen those replaced with more modern variants. The space left over was small enough that even on a station it was almost impossible to justify expanding the surrounding buildings with what was left.\n\n\tLuckily that much space was perfect for a bug out bag.\n\n\tKanina yanked the dusty old satchel out from its hiding spot and tour into it quickly. Her hands trembling as she dug though the contents. Multitools, outdated data bugs. A credstick with just enough on it for a hotel room and a cheap gun. Her hands barely slowed as she yanked free a Zap bar and tore the wrapper off with her bucked bunny teeth. The first bite was foul. Nothing but cardboard and metal dancing along her tongue. If the things had an expiration date she'd wonder if it had gone bad. Of course nobody ate a Zap bar for the taste.\n\n\tHer frantic fingers next found a roll of bandage, followed by a bottle of cheap booze. She unscrewed the bottle and let the alleged vodka splash over the cuts with an agonizing sting. Making sure to get all of them before wrapping the bandage tightly around her arm where Van had gashed it.\n\n\tVan. She tried to focus on the pain. Tried like hell to think of it, hoping that would keep the image out of her head. For as much as she hated him the image of his lifeless body still turned her stomach. If she had anything heavier than the damn energy bar in her gut odds were good she'd have thrown it up already. Part of her gnawed on that idea. It was the first life she'd taken. A horrible, painful death that nobody deserved. Not even a burnout fuckup like Van. Sure they hated each other, but they were still friends. If only he hadn't... what? What did he do? What were they doing?\n\n\tA twinge of guilt hit Kanina as she resisted the urge to scan for Bri. Right now she was able to mask herself. She'd switched out her Fortune Avi and all of the programs associated with it the second she got away from the cops. The message to Sean that would let him track Bri was the only thing she'd sent out and it was too small for anyone, even Gav to track. There was no way she could get to her. No way that Bri could save her. The only hope she had left was that Seb had lied about Sean being some crime boss the same way he lied about everything else. Or maybe that he was benevolent.\n\n\tFack it. It was too late. She'd made her choice, and now the only option she had was to follow though. If she made it though this alive, then she could worry about Bri.\n\n\tOnce her arm was bandaged Kanina set about digging though the supplies for anything else she may need. She had some improvised flash bangs. A kit bashed zip gun with long-dead caseless rounds. A wide range data spike transmitter and a one-shot stun glove. There was no way to be sure any of it would work. Especially not after sitting around so long. But it was all that she had to work with.\n\n\tSlipping her back against the cold metal panel the bunny grabbed what was left of the vodka and pulled a small one-hitter from her pocket. A gift from Savvy to celebrate her newest set of upgrades. It reminded her to actually stop and check the progress of the update. Reflex boosters and Avi-synch sub processor were both at around ninety percent integration. It'd make her faster if nothing else. The sense boosters were up to date and online. Though she could have already guessed that from the mild nausea she'd been feeling on the sprint up here. So much of her hardware both old and new was geared towards digging, hacking and slinging code. For the first time Kanina was beginning to regret that she didn't' have any sort of muscle boosters or bone spike genemods to give her a leg up in a fight.\n\n\t``Work with what ya got, Kiddle. Not what you want.'' She laughed to herself in her best imitation of Savvy. A small smirk crossing her muzzle as she hit the button on the leaf smoker and chugged the vodka while it finished warming up.\n\n\tIf she was going down, Kanina was going down swinging.\n\n--------------------\n\n\t``I don't know, man. This all feels kinda buggy.'' Twitch looked at his two friends and shifted himself nervously from one foot to another. He held the combat rifle nervously in his hands. A BA-12 Sterling, or rather a poor Cygnus knockoff of the real rail rifle. Not that any of them knew any better. The trio stood in the freshly fortified living room behind a bunker of furniture and junk facing the entrance point. None of them really paid too much attention. The two older boys both muttered to each other about their presumed payday without any regard for the goat boy worrying himself behind them.\n\n\t``Arms at the ready, boys.'' Gav called. His face projected prominently into the room though the Holoprojector. ``Corpsec could come through here at any time, should your compatriots fail to slip them in transit. If you wish to avoid an airlock funeral, or worse, I suggest you all keep your eyes focused on the target and wait for activity.\n\n\tTwitch slumped back and ran his hand over the magazine catch for the thousandth time. This was it. His big break. The thing he'd been waiting for all his life. The thing Kanina had denied him so many times.\n\n\tSo why the hell couldn't he stop shaking?\n\n\tThe three boys all tensed as the hatch finally flung itself open. A loud thump and the snap of ozone filing the air as a few stray shots thudded into the wall behind the entrance ladder knocking the hatch off of its hinges. The boys stopped after about half a magazine each. Looking down at the now unhinged door curiously. None of them were able to react properly as a pair of little silver balls dropped down from the hatch itself and the room suddenly filled with a dazzling barrage of flickering lights and AR garbage.\n\n\tThe two older boys dropped their guns instantly and screamed in pain. Twitch instead ducked his muzzle under one arm while using the other to fire wildly into the ceiling with the vain hope of actually hitting something.\n\n\tNone of them were prepared as a trio of biofeedback spikes hit their jacks. Or for the sudden flurry of fists that was to follow. Kanina panting as she stood over them looking at the three newbies that had apparently gotten dragged in just for this job.\n\n\t``Seb... Woz damn it Seb what are you doing?'' She sighed softly.\n\n\t``Progressing.'' Gav's voice chimed in from all around her. The room soon filling with rigid, stoic copies of his black robed Avi. Already Kanina saw small warnings pop up that he was picking away at her firewall. A fact far more frightening than his underscored theatrics.\n\n\t``You knew he was going after Bri, didn't you Gav? You knew Seb was selling her out. Why? How is she supposed to help you guys `progress'?\n\n\t``It's not vital that you understand the answer to that, Kanina. This isn't some Holo-drama. In a few moments I will have your defenses down. If you simply drop them now, I may consider convincing Emperor that you can still be of use to us.''\n\n\t``Or you could come out here and I could clean your clock one on one.'' Kanina snerked ``And seriously, Dragging in wannabes like this? I didn't expect to see this kind of unprofessional behavior from you, Gav.''\n\n\t``You keep thinking that your tricks are going to work, fortune.'' He chuckled ``I've always tried to tell you that your sentimentality is a weakness. One that others like myself threw off long ago. This is business, nothing more. I helped make every one of the codes loaded into Fortune. We both know you don't' have anything in your toolbox that can beat me.''\n\n\tEven as he said t he words the robed figures each raised a hand. The projector mapping out a rough outline of the Fortune Avi over Kanina. Letting her see it as the jacket began to dissipate. As the gambler, air pirate attire she'd used for so long melted into nothingness.\n\n\tKanina looked around as the different avis charged their attacks. The whole circle of wizards droning a faux Gregorian chant.\n\n\t``Just answer me one thing.'' Kanian growled. ``You knew about the job targeting Bri? Or are you just going along now because it's too late to back out?''\n\n\tGav chuckled softly ``Even at the end worried about your dirt girl. Of course I knew. I'm the one who decided to assign her the `Hermit'. You're too familiar with the tracking patterns we use for the World, and besides. I'm not beyond a bit of a poetic flare. Do you really think so little of me, Fortune?''\n\n\t``I didn't.'' she sighed. ``But I guess I do now.''\n\n\tThe attacks all came at once. A flurry of code hidden behind the theatrics of the mage attack swarming over Kanina. Smashing into the dissipating Fortune Avi, and then quickly dissipating.\n\n\tIn its place stood a stylized burgundy bunny. Long and lanky, the light striking her like some ancient black and white comic, showing off twisting proportions and sharp shading that gave the thing an unnatural air. The new burgundy-furred Avi perked her lopped ear, a recreation of Brinna's dice charm hanging from its tip that sparkled and shimmered of its own accord. \n\n\tKanina loaded up all of her firewall programs at once and began to glance around the room for some sign of where Gav was hiding. One by one her new Avatar worked though the magi in a hopping, flashing blur of bandage-wrapped fists and sharp crushing kicks. The fact that none of the attack programs could hit her assuring Kanina of just how unprepared Gav was for this little wrinkle.\n\n\tIt soon became clear to Kanina that she was no longer the focus of the attacks. Gavin's frustrated growls growing only more intense as he began to load in new programs. Each mage shifting robe color in turn. Launching new attacks. Seeking to overload Kanina's hardware. Seeking to disrupt her connection to the station network. Even simple sensory overload code just pinging off of her new unnamed tool.\n\n\tAs the frustration grew the voices broadcast though the projector and surround sound grew twisted and distorted. The strain and frustration getting to Gav the longer the fight drew on. Finally her sharp and newly enhanced ears caught something. Kanina dashed her way to Seb's old door and kicked it in. Drawing no small amount of satisfaction from the look on Gav's face as she barreled him over and pinned him chair and all to the floor.\n\n\t``Where is he?'' She snapped.\n\n\tGavin winced as he tried to load another attack program, only to scream when Kanina shoved the semi-functional shock glove up against his jack. She instantly regretted not putting it on before hand, since holding it rather than wearing it got her a rather nasty set of electrical burns on her fingers. But she could worry about that later.\n\n\t``Gavin, tell me. Where is he? Where did he go?''\n\n\t``The Vault.'' He spat. ``He and Kat are waiting. The contact got them passage out of Drassi space. All they have to do is call it in and.''\n\n\tKanina smirked. A deep, hard, twisted smirk. ``Oop, Call what in, exactly? Corpsec? Because I think I just did.'' She smirked ear to ear and gripped Gavin by his thick crew cut, smashing his head back down into the ground and shocking him again. ``Now stay down, Gav. If you're lucky maybe they'll go easy on you.'' She glanced around the room slowly. Wheels in her head already turning. Her eyes finally landing on something she could use. The bright orange handle of a worn old rescue crew hammer.\n\n\t``Boss man and I have to have a little talk''\n\n--------------------\n\n\t``Sebastian!''\n\n\tThe heavy hammer falls bit into the makeshift blast door with all the fury the bunny girl could manage. Massive gouging dents forming as the heavy weight was brought down again and again on the most vulnerable point of the last barricade. Bits of ceramic plating sandwiched between the outer plates of the door scattered in a shrapnel spray under each heavy hammer fall Kanina delivered.\n\n\tIt took less than a minute before the thing smashed itself open. The hammer shearing the latch right in two and leaving the opening bowed thigh-high before her. This gave Kanina just enough time to spot the figures at the other side and leap though to take cover behind one of the heavy machines the gang used to form its crystals for the street. Her mad scramble left Kanina clear just as a heavy shower of hardened steel bolts hammered the wall and doorway where she had been standing. Her upgrades allowed her to see the pitifully unsecured combat carbine, the signatures of the one holding it telling her just who it was.\n\n\tKat hammered the machine just centimeters above Kaninas head. The pig braying a snorty laugh as she did so. Her eyes caught a flash of color moving out behind the cover, and instantly shifted to fire at it. Her eyes never caught that the shade of fur wasn't the telltale purple, or the twisted movement lines of the stylized Avi girl. Not until she felt the battery pack of her gun suddenly grow hot. A spray of carbon and organic nanotube goo showering out from the weapons stock and sizzling her white-pink skin with a sickening sound.\n\n\tKanina hopped out from behind cover with her gun trained on the disturbingly casual-looking Sebastian. His face wearing a stone cold, superior smirk as he looked down at her and smiled. Oblivious to the screams.\n\n\t``What, not gonna help her?'' Kanina muttered bitterly.\n\n\tSeb smirked a bit wider and sloshed the thin snifter of Edesviz he held in his paw. He barely spared Kat a glance before looking back at Kanina, or more specifically back at her weapon. ``She'll live. Or she won't. Either way I think we can agree she's not really a factor right now is she?''\n\n\t``Damn, that's cold Seb. The Fack did you go all Ice 9 like that? Let me guess. Picked it out with the new print?'' Only now did Kanina notice that the ill fitted suit her former comrade wore had been replaced with a new one. A supple grey number with subdued stripes of pure silver that shone like gaudy jewelry in the LED light.\n\n\tThe black bear shook his head a moment and shifted in his seat. He didn't move for a gun. Not yet. With her upgrades Kanina was somewhat sure she could stop him if he tried anyways. But then somewhat wasn't the same as certain. She watched him carefully as he scooped up a small device. Her twitching finger only causing him amusement as he shook his head. And sipped his exorbitant spirits once more.\n\n\t``Oh come now, thumper. You can't tell me you don't recognize a credstick. Can you?''\n\n\tIt was big enough to be one. Though the odd, almost elongated teardrop body and the gold filigree around it were unlike anything she'd seen on the station before. It took a few moments before she glanced at the gun and her gnawing note of recognition clicked into place.\n\n\t``Wow, the dumb bunny finally figured it out. Shame it wasn't in time to save your friend. I mean, I'm sure she'll be fine. Or she won't. Customer wasn't exactly giving me `need to know' on her safety. But let me guess. Van fucked up and started talking instead of shooting. Didn't he?''\n\n\t``That's why you don't give jobs to a burnout, Sebby.'' Kanina laughed bitterly.\n\n\t``I figured that may happen. Then again I also figured you'd be going off after your little friend. Getting yourself shot up by the people we handed her off to. I guess I underestimated just how ruthless you can be.''\n\n\t``Yeah? You came from the outer rim too, right Seb? This can't be too much of a shock. ``Either he didn't know, or he was toying with her. Probably the former. It was tempting to check now. To give herself away just to see if her faith was misplaced. Everything in the bunny screaming at her to just pull the trigger and get this all over with. Her finger slowly squeezing as she struggled to drive that familiarity, drive the horrorshow of Van's face out of her mind.\n\n\tAnother click and a pair of footsteps behind her stopped all of that.\n\n\t``P-put the gun down, Fortune.''\n\n\tKanina winced. She kept the gun raised, yet made no motion to shift her target. ``Lacy, don't do this.'' she muttered, her throat dry and cracked. Unlike the carbine before whatever Lacy had was dumb. Nothing for her Avi to grab on to. No way to stop it if she decided to fire.\n\n\t``I have to. You know I have to. Look, You're friend is gonna be ok. The clients just want to spook her Master, that's all. Seb even told me that he got enough from the down payment to get Sven back. He wired the money to a proxy. He, he'll be out soon.'' The heavy rhino took a few steps forwards and took another deep breath. Kanina could already feel the anxiety and desperation radiating off of her friend.\n\n\t``What he's doing is wrong, Lacy. You know you can't do this. Please. Listen to me. You don't have to do this.''\n\n\t``I won't let Sven get sold off! I'm not losing him!'' She sobbed as she took another step closer. ``Kanina you need to put the gun down. Now. It's the only way.''\n\n\tSeb laughed wickedly and licked his lips ever so softly. Another small sip of the spirits slipping past his lips. ``Go on, Fortune. Listen to her. We can all be reasonable here, can't we? You've already caused more than enough trouble already haven't you?''\n\n\tKanina's ears slumped. She looked into the other ganger's eyes and growled softly. Her grip on the gun tightening once more. ``You're not going to get Sven off at all, are you? Are you, you bastard?''\n\n\tHis cold smirk said it all. Even as his voice dropped into a nearly theatrical tone. Faux sorrow dripping from him as he let out a long ,sad coo. ``Oh Fortune, poor Fortune. How could you say something like that? My own baby brother? How could I leave him to rot? After everything I did to raise him. To feed him. To cloth him. To teach him what it means to run in a real gang. How could you ever think I'd just leave him behind to suffer for one, small, easily forgiven mistake.'' \n\n\tSeb's avi flashed into being a moment later. Genghis Khan. The proud, black furred warlord springing into being with his war bow drawn. The attack ICE streaked from his bow as a sea of arrows. Kanina's new avi and the speed of her hardware barely able to block it with a firewall. The AR bunny girl slipping before her t o snatch and snap the arrows with impossible speed and ferocity. \n\n\tThe same couldn't be said for her pistol. The weapon jolting her paw open as its battery pack shorted out. The gun slipping to the floor with a heavy thud. She was barrel able to register as she heard the sickening sound of Lacy screaming and collapsing behind her. The bunny girls heart stopping for a full second before she was able to hear pained whines assuring her that her friend was still alive.\n\n\tHer distraction ended as the still half-full bottle of spirits smashed into her arm just narrowly avoiding her face. The heavy cut crystal thankfully too sturdy to shatter against her. A split second later and Kanina was pressed up against the wall. She could feel Seb's fingers on her throat. The black bear glaring at her with a mix of glee and utter hateful contempt.\n\n\t``You stupid, bubble headed, scatterbrained little lop eared thumper whore. Do you know how much trouble you caused me? If you could have just stayed in line like Gav or Kat then none of this would have had to happen.'' She battered and scratched at his wrist, but the look on his face showed no signs that Seb was going to let go. ``Brats like you have no idea what it takes to get to the top, do you? You just got out because your mom was a good enough slut that a better brothel wanted her.'' A sudden strike from the Khan avi's mace sent tendrils of agony though Kanina. The ICE program hitting her harder and faster than her own systems could keep up with. \n\n\t``By the time I got out I'd killed more people than I can even count. I bled for it. I worked for it. I earned my place in a higher class.'' He started to laugh as she hammered the heels of her sneakers into his gut. Kanina's frantic mine began to worry he may have pain editors or something. A fear t hat only grew worse as he tossed her aside like a rag doll.\n\n\t``Oh but it wasn't enough. I finally hook up with a legit data gang. I get to be classy, get to be a bit more refined. Only the idiots running the show think they're playing Robin Hood or something. I don't know why it took me so long to snap that facking Jerome's neck. At least Haley had the good sense to run after that. You know I almost wish I could say I'm glad about it. I wish I was the kind of guy who felt bad at the idea of snapping some brats neck, just because she's better at the job. Just because she thinks her little title makes her special.'' Kanina pushed herself up and winced, her arms shivering and twitching under the strain. Seb's boot hitting her back smashing her back into the ground again.\n\n\t``I wish I could. But I still regret that I never snapped that little kitten's spine when I had the chance. So I guess you'll have to do.'' The data hitting her made it hard for Kanina's arms to work with the new implants. Hell her whole body was struggling under the strain. Not helped by the fact that Seb was far stronger than he looked. The man laughing gleefully as he kicked her against the wall and started to pace towards her. Even taking the time to carefully remove his expensive new suit jacket and set it neatly on the back of a bolt-riddled chair.\n\n\t``Don't' worry. This'll all be over soon, thumper. Little Lacy gets to be with that idiot drug sponge brother of mine in Asgaurd, or wherever the fack they go. I can't speak to your little dirt girl. But then honestly, I don't really care.'' he laughed.\n\n\tOne of the small windows in Kanina's AR said it all. He was compiling code to short her out. His `ware' working around her defenses. Ready to short out her nerves system before delivering a final blow. She looked up into the now gold-rimmed eyes of the bear as he gloated over her. Grabbing up the hammer she'd used to bash her way in.\n\n\t``So, any last words?'' he laughed.\n\n\t``Yeah.'' Kanina muttered. Her hand finally slipping into her pocket as she braced. Taking a deep sucking breath. ``Get spliced!''\n\n\tThe data spike hit hard. Had Kanina not been laid out already odds were good she'd have probably been floored. She watched though the digital junk of her AR as Seb screamed in agony and collapsed. His limbs suddenly limp like noodles. The man sobbing in pain and fumbling to grab hold of the hammer once more.\n\n\tIt wasn't really a picnic for the bunny either. Still she was able to get to her feet first and fumble-lop her way towards the man at a ragged pace. Her knee contacted his jaw firmly right where it hinged with his skull. The two both going sprawling onto the ground. Kanina did her best to ignore the pain and pull herself up once more. Dragging herself in closer to Sebastian and smashing her fist down into his face as hard as her weak limbs would allow. And again. And again, and again until he was able to throw his arms up for some form of cover. Kanina clawed and fumbled until she got the arms free and socked him in the face once more Pushing her knee under his now fractured jaw and shoving his head back as she struggled to keep the much larger man pinned under her weight.\n\n\tWhatever had given him the advantage before, the spike had ended it. Kanina could slowly feel herself getting though the initial shock of his digital attacks. Pure rage and adrenaline carrying her along though each successive attack.\n\n\t``Why? Why did you do it? The hell is wrong with you?'' She sobbed. Both fists balled up now as she hammered down against his face and chest over and over again. Warm sickly blood matting her fur with each heavy thud. She had no idea how long she kept this up. She had no idea how long it was after he stopped moving. Everything fell into a haze until finally Kanina was left slumped and shaking on the ground. Her body aching and weak, but alive. So very alive.\n\n\tIt took a while before she was able to stand again. Even the act of sitting up threatened to topple her as that suite of sensory and responses upgrades struggled to reboot themselves fully. It left a sick taste in her mouth.\n\n\tOr maybe that was the feel of Sebastian's blood dripping from her hands.\n\n\tWhen she could finally move Kanina made her way to the bottle laying on the carpet. Its contents half spilled out. She yanked the topper free and let the thick burning brown liquid slip down her throat and sear its way into her gut. She then limped over to the desk and grabbed the cred stick. She looked it over for a long moment, turned, and tossed it onto the floor where Lacy was just beginning to slip back to reality.\n\n\t``Here.'' Kanina muttered as she paced up to her friend and crouched down. ``Should still be enough left on it to get Sven out. And to make sure you two have a decent life.''\n\n\t``How did you...'' She gasped\n\n\t``I had some jink saved up. He turned me down. Didn't even know how much I had. This wasn't about saving Sven. I don't know what the Fack it was about. But it's pretty clear we weren't a part of his future.''\n\n\tLacy nodded and pulled the stick in close. She slowly stood up, her body shaking like a leaf as she looked her friend over a long moment. Tears welling in those big brown eyes before she quickly turned and dashed off.\n\n\tAlone, the bunny girl finally slumped back and stumbled over to the desk. She just barely managed to get herself slumped down in the big cushy office chair. Slipping a thick Cygnus Cigar into her muzzle and lighting it. Taking a nice hard pull as she waited for the Corpsec to show.\n\n--------------------\n\n\tSitting on the bumper of a squad car wasn't exactly new for Kanina. Neither was being in CorpSec binders. Though only about half of those times were a matter of her being in trouble with the law.\n\n\tIt was almost surreal watching officers filing in and out of their little hidey hole. The home she'd grown to know for so many years now. First came Gavin and the punks he'd hired. Seeing him and Twitch both vanish into the back of another squad car hurt like hell even after everything had gone down. Kat was far worse. The burns had hit her face and most of her left arm. They actually had to have an emergency pod drone flown in just to keep her stable on the way to the hospital. For all the bitterness between the two women it still hurt to see her like this. Especially knowing now just how badly Seb played them both.\n\n\t``Kanina Kunitdottir?'' A young man, a rather sharp dressed looking Vole officer, strode up next to the car and looked her over. His eyes clearly twitching between her and his AR readout.\n\n\t``That would be me.'' She laughed bitterly.\n\n\t``Now I need to make sure you understand we'll need you to remain on-station until our investigation can be completed. Your signed statement in this case is crucial to our investigation. Especially after today's events.''\n\n\tShe snorted softly and smirked up at him. Finding it rather hard to give a look of wry cynicism with her left eye swelling shut. ``I'd have to imagine that won't be hard. I mean I'll have what, two meters of cell? Each direction, right?'' She laughed.\n\n\t``Of course not, Ma'am. You've already been cleared.'' The officer said as he waved his hand as best as he could with a thermal drink flask in it. The cuffs falling free. ``I hope you understand that we had to keep you restrained on site until we could be sure everything checked out. Treason and corporate espionage are serious crimes, you know.''\n\n\t``Treason? Espionage. Wait, what credentials, what are you?''\n\n\t``It's ok.'' A familiar voice boomed. ``She's not leaving the station, officer. Not until she's done healing at any rate.''\n\n\tThe young man stiffened up and quickly went to attention. His hand fumbling for a salute. ``Lord Thaneson, Sir. I, I wasn't expecting you to come down here personally!'' He gasped.\n\n\tSean shook his head and sighed softly. He patted the man on the arm and snagging the flask from him. ``You mind?'' he asked ``I think she could use it.''\n\n\t``Oh, not at all, sir! I just needed to check in. Please, if you'll excuse me.'' He gasped as he ran off quickly.\n\n\tSean did little more than laugh as he yanked the top from the thermos and unsealed the lid. He poured a heady shot of what appeared to be cocoa into it and slipped the drink into Kanina's paws. ``Long night, huh Kani?'' He asked happily.\n\n\t``What in Hel's name are you doing here?'' Kanina snapped ``And why did that cop just freak the fack out seeing you? More importantly, Where is Bri?''\n\n\t``Safe.'' he said firmly ``In a witness protection room at the 15th precinct. If you hadn't sent me that message when you did'' He sighed and looked down at his feet ``Thanks.''\n\n\t``I didn't do it for you.'' Kanina hissed. ``Whatever the Tarot were doing going after Bri, it was because of you. Whoever the hell you are. If I had any way to catch up with those bastards on my own.''\n\n\t``I know.'' Sean nodded. ``Still, thanks.''\n\n\tThe bunny took a heavy swig of her cocoa and leaned back. She almost made a snaky comment about the lack of booze, but thought better of it. At least for now. ``So who'd you have to bribe to get me out of this?'' She muttered ``This is Corpsec after all. Not like they care too much about who did or didn't plan, whatever facked up thing counts as treason involving Bri. Seriously what was with that?''\n\n\tThe bear beside her laughed bitterly and shook his head. A small hand wave showing a rather authentic looking ID. Her ID, save for one thing that stuck out at her almost instantly.\n\n\t``Under consideration of? I, wait. You registered me as your facking slave?! Dude. Get spliced!''\n\n\t``Hey, you want to end up in that cell you were talking about or not? Like you said they don't exactly care too much who they arrest in a situation like this. Especially since every head or body bag probably ups the teams bounty too.''\n\n\t``Yeah, but that still doesn't explain how...'' She stopped. Her eyes flashing back to the display. Finally catching the name listed on it. Those bright red eyes went wide as it all finally clicked. `Sean Thaneson'.\n\n\t``You, you're... You're telling me that you...''\n\n\t``Officially, you're duties are listed as Brinna's hand maiden and escort. You had hearted a gang you once held ties to were seeking to kidnap her and use her as leverage to extort me. Legally you were simply my property, my agent, coming in to do what was in my best interest. You don't have to hide it any longer, Kani. I let the officers know everything.''\n\n\tThe smug words drew a scowl. The bunny glared at him with every ounce of hate she could muster and most of what she wished she could, if he didn't have a Woz damn point. ``Understood, Lord Thaneson.'' She muttered as she took another sip of her cocoa.\n\n\tSean leaned in and murred softly. ``I'd give it a few months before you decide to null the consideration status. I mean it may just be on paper, but we don't want to have anyone get suspicious now do we? I may be a prince, but I'm not above the law after all'' He laughed as he patted her on the back ``And of course that means it's your `duty' to stick by Bri like glue, right?''\n\n\t``Yes, Lord Thaneson.'' She said again, nodding and slumping just a bit harder.\n\n\t``Now now.'' Sean laughed loudly ``We've been over this before, my little coral treasure'' he chuckled playfully ``You'll have to get used to saying it in public some time.'' He stood over her smugly with his arms crossed. Looking at her expectantly.\n\n\t``Yes... Master.'' She grumbled. Cheeks flaring bright red from the shame.\n\n\t``That's better. Now I need to go check on Brinna. You'll have a car waiting for you outside the hospital after you're all patched up. You men take good care of my girl here. She's a hero! Mother may even give her a medal for this one.''\n\n\tShe watched the smug grizzly saunter off, his hips shaking a bit, the man clearly pleased with himself. It was almost worth the inevitable jail time she'd get to chuck her cocoa at him. Almost. Instead Kanina simply refilled the cup and let herself slip back into the near unconscious bliss that only hard work and pain could bring.\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "By Necessity: Split

By TerraMGP

\tEveryone had a cache. At least that's how it worked when you ran with a gang. Stations were always full of places to stash gear. Maintenance hatches, unused air vents, long abandoned sweeping drone pods. The tarot probably had a few dozen just  from the past few years. No doubt all of them bugged.

\tFor her the only one close enough to matter was a personal one. Kanina found herself wedged behind the small access path leading to the power conduits behind the noodle stand. The old conduits were thick, the kind of heavy duty cables used back when the station was being constructed and the outer rings were still the only finished rings. Naturally centuries of wear and use had seen those replaced with more modern variants. The space left over was small enough that even on a station it was almost impossible to justify expanding the surrounding buildings with what was left.

\tLuckily that much space was perfect for a bug out bag.

\tKanina yanked the dusty old satchel out from its hiding spot and tour into it quickly. Her hands trembling as she dug though the contents. Multitools, outdated data bugs. A credstick with just enough on it for a hotel room and a cheap gun. Her hands barely slowed as she yanked free a Zap bar and tore the wrapper off with her bucked bunny teeth. The first bite was foul. Nothing but cardboard and metal dancing along her tongue. If the things had an expiration date she'd wonder if it had gone bad. Of course nobody ate a Zap bar for the taste.

\tHer frantic fingers next found a roll of bandage, followed by a bottle of cheap booze. She unscrewed the bottle and let the alleged vodka splash over the cuts with an agonizing sting. Making sure to get all of them before wrapping the bandage tightly around her arm where Van had gashed it.

\tVan. She tried to focus on the pain. Tried like hell to think of it, hoping that would keep the image out of her head. For as much as she hated him the image of his lifeless body still turned her stomach. If she had anything heavier than the damn energy bar in her gut odds were good she'd have thrown it up already. Part of her gnawed on that idea. It was the first life she'd taken. A horrible, painful death that nobody deserved. Not even a burnout fuckup like Van. Sure they hated each other, but they were still friends. If only he hadn't... what? What did he do? What were they doing?

\tA twinge of guilt hit Kanina as she resisted the urge to scan for Bri. Right now she was able to mask herself. She'd switched out her Fortune Avi and all of the programs associated with it the second she got away from the cops. The message to Sean that would let him track Bri was the only thing she'd sent out and it was too small for anyone, even Gav to track. There was no way she could get to her. No way that Bri could save her. The only hope she had left was that Seb had lied about Sean being some crime boss the same way he lied about everything else. Or maybe that he was benevolent.

\tFack it. It was too late. She'd made her choice, and now the only option she had was to follow though. If she made it though this alive, then she could worry about Bri.

\tOnce her arm was bandaged  Kanina set about digging though the supplies for anything else she may need. She had some improvised flash bangs. A kit bashed zip gun with long-dead caseless rounds. A wide range data spike transmitter and a one-shot stun glove. There was no way to be sure any of it would work. Especially not after sitting around so long. But it was all that she had to work with.

\tSlipping her back against the cold metal panel the bunny grabbed what was left of the vodka and pulled a small one-hitter from her pocket. A gift from Savvy to celebrate her newest set of upgrades. It reminded her to actually stop and check the progress of the update. Reflex boosters and Avi-synch sub processor were both at around ninety percent integration. It'd make her faster if nothing else. The sense boosters were up to date and online. Though she could have already guessed that from the mild nausea she'd been feeling on the sprint up here. So much of her hardware both old and new was geared towards digging, hacking and slinging code. For the first time Kanina was beginning to regret that she didn't' have any sort of muscle boosters or bone spike genemods to give her a leg up in a fight.

\t``Work with what ya got, Kiddle. Not what you want.'' She laughed to herself in her best imitation of Savvy. A small smirk crossing her muzzle as she hit the button on the leaf smoker and chugged the vodka while it finished warming up.

\tIf she was going down, Kanina was going down swinging.

--------------------

\t``I don't know, man. This all feels kinda buggy.'' Twitch looked at his two friends and shifted himself nervously from one foot to another. He held the combat rifle nervously in his hands. A BA-12 Sterling, or rather a poor Cygnus knockoff of the real rail rifle. Not that any of them knew any better. The trio stood in the freshly fortified living room behind a bunker of furniture and junk facing the entrance point. None of them really paid too much attention. The two older boys both muttered to each other about their presumed payday without any regard for the goat boy worrying himself behind them.

\t``Arms at the ready, boys.'' Gav called. His face projected prominently into the room though the Holoprojector. ``Corpsec could come through here at any time, should your compatriots fail to slip them in transit. If you wish to avoid an airlock funeral, or worse, I suggest you all keep your eyes focused on the target and wait for activity.

\tTwitch slumped back and ran his hand over the magazine catch for the thousandth time. This was it. His big break. The thing he'd been waiting for all his life. The thing Kanina had denied him so many times.

\tSo why the hell couldn't he stop shaking?

\tThe three boys all tensed as the hatch finally flung itself open. A loud thump and the snap of ozone filing the air as a few stray shots thudded into the wall behind the entrance ladder knocking the hatch off of its hinges. The boys stopped after about half a magazine each. Looking down at the now unhinged door curiously. None of them were able to react properly as a pair of little silver balls dropped down from the hatch itself and the room suddenly filled with a dazzling barrage of flickering lights and AR garbage.

\tThe two older boys dropped their guns instantly and screamed in pain. Twitch instead ducked his muzzle under one arm while using the other to fire wildly into the ceiling with the vain hope of actually hitting something.

\tNone of them were prepared as a trio of biofeedback spikes hit their jacks. Or for the sudden flurry of fists that was to follow. Kanina panting as she stood over them looking at the three newbies that had apparently gotten dragged in just for this job.

\t``Seb... Woz damn it Seb what are you doing?'' She sighed softly.

\t``Progressing.'' Gav's voice chimed in from all around her. The room soon filling with rigid, stoic copies of his black robed Avi. Already Kanina saw small warnings pop up that he was picking away at her firewall. A fact far more frightening than his underscored theatrics.

\t``You knew he was going after Bri, didn't you Gav? You knew Seb was selling her out. Why? How is she supposed to help you guys `progress'?

\t``It's not vital that you understand the answer to that, Kanina. This isn't some Holo-drama. In a few moments I will have your defenses down. If you simply drop them now, I may consider convincing Emperor that you can still be of use to us.''

\t``Or you could come out here and I could clean your clock one on one.'' Kanina snerked ``And seriously, Dragging in wannabes like this? I didn't expect to see this kind of unprofessional behavior from you, Gav.''

\t``You keep thinking that your tricks are going to work, fortune.'' He chuckled ``I've always tried to tell you that your sentimentality is a weakness. One that others like myself threw off long ago. This is business, nothing more. I helped make every one of the codes loaded into Fortune. We both know you don't' have anything in your toolbox that can beat me.''

\tEven as he said t he words the robed figures each raised a hand. The projector mapping out a rough outline of the Fortune Avi over Kanina. Letting her see it as the jacket began to dissipate. As the gambler, air pirate attire she'd used for so long melted into nothingness.

\tKanina looked around as the different avis charged their attacks. The whole circle of wizards droning a faux Gregorian chant.

\t``Just answer me one thing.'' Kanian growled. ``You knew about the job targeting Bri? Or are you just going along now because it's too late to back out?''

\tGav chuckled softly ``Even at the end worried about your dirt girl. Of course I knew. I'm the one who decided to assign her the `Hermit'. You're too familiar with the tracking patterns we use for the World, and besides. I'm not beyond a bit of a poetic flare. Do you really think so little of me, Fortune?''

\t``I didn't.'' she sighed. ``But I guess I do now.''

\tThe attacks all came at once. A flurry of code hidden behind the theatrics of the mage attack swarming over Kanina. Smashing into the dissipating Fortune Avi, and then quickly dissipating.

\tIn its place stood a stylized burgundy bunny. Long and lanky, the light striking her like some ancient black and white comic, showing off twisting proportions and sharp shading that gave the thing an unnatural air. The new burgundy-furred Avi perked her lopped ear, a recreation of Brinna's dice charm hanging from its tip that sparkled and shimmered of its own accord.

\tKanina loaded up all of her firewall programs at once and began to glance around the room for some sign of where Gav was hiding. One by one her new Avatar worked though the magi in a hopping, flashing blur of bandage-wrapped fists and sharp crushing kicks. The fact that none of the attack programs could hit her assuring Kanina of just how unprepared Gav was for this little wrinkle.

\tIt soon became clear to Kanina that she was no longer the focus of the attacks. Gavin's frustrated growls growing only more intense as he began to load in new programs. Each mage shifting robe color in turn. Launching new attacks. Seeking to overload Kanina's hardware. Seeking to disrupt her connection to the station network. Even simple sensory overload code just pinging off of her new unnamed tool.

\tAs the frustration grew the voices broadcast though the projector and surround sound grew twisted and distorted. The strain and frustration getting to Gav the longer the fight drew on. Finally her sharp and newly enhanced ears caught something. Kanina dashed her way to Seb's old door and kicked it in. Drawing no small amount of satisfaction from the look on Gav's face as she barreled him over and pinned him chair and all to the floor.

\t``Where is he?'' She snapped.

\tGavin winced as he tried to load another attack program, only to scream when Kanina shoved the semi-functional shock glove up against his jack. She instantly regretted not putting it on before hand, since holding it rather than wearing it got her a rather nasty set of electrical burns on her fingers. But she could worry about that later.

\t``Gavin, tell me. Where is he? Where did he go?''

\t``The Vault.'' He spat. ``He and Kat are waiting. The contact got them passage out of Drassi space. All they have to do is call it in and.''

\tKanina smirked. A deep, hard, twisted smirk. ``Oop, Call what in, exactly? Corpsec? Because I think I just did.'' She smirked ear to ear and gripped Gavin by his thick crew cut, smashing his head back down into the ground and shocking him again. ``Now stay down, Gav. If you're lucky maybe they'll go easy on you.'' She glanced around the room slowly. Wheels in her head already turning. Her eyes finally landing on something she could use. The bright orange handle of a worn old rescue crew hammer.

\t``Boss man and I have to have a little talk''

--------------------

\t``Sebastian!''

\tThe heavy hammer falls bit into the makeshift blast door with all the fury the bunny girl could manage. Massive gouging dents forming as the heavy weight was brought down again and again on the most vulnerable point of the last barricade. Bits of ceramic plating sandwiched between the outer plates of the door scattered in a shrapnel spray under each heavy hammer fall Kanina delivered.

\tIt took less than a minute before the thing smashed itself open. The hammer shearing the latch right in two and leaving the opening bowed thigh-high before her. This gave Kanina just enough time to spot the figures at the other side and leap though to take cover behind one of the heavy machines the gang used to form its crystals for the street. Her mad scramble left Kanina clear just as a heavy shower of hardened steel bolts hammered the wall and doorway where she had been standing. Her upgrades allowed her to see the pitifully unsecured combat carbine, the signatures of the one holding it telling her just who it was.

\tKat hammered the machine just centimeters above Kaninas head. The pig braying a snorty laugh as she did so. Her eyes caught a flash of color moving out behind the cover, and instantly shifted to fire at it. Her eyes never caught that the shade of fur wasn't the telltale purple, or the twisted movement lines of the stylized Avi girl. Not until she felt the battery pack of her gun suddenly grow hot. A spray of carbon and organic nanotube goo showering out from the weapons stock and sizzling her white-pink skin with a sickening sound.

\tKanina hopped out from behind cover with her gun trained on the disturbingly casual-looking Sebastian. His face wearing a stone cold, superior smirk as he looked down at her and smiled. Oblivious to the screams.

\t``What, not gonna help her?'' Kanina muttered bitterly.

\tSeb smirked a bit wider and sloshed the thin snifter of Edesviz he held in his paw. He barely spared Kat a glance before looking back at Kanina, or more specifically back at her weapon. ``She'll live. Or she won't. Either way I think we can agree she's not really a factor right now is she?''

\t``Damn, that's cold Seb. The Fack did you go all Ice 9 like that? Let me guess. Picked it out with the new print?'' Only now did Kanina notice that the ill fitted suit her former comrade wore had been replaced with a new one. A supple grey number with subdued stripes of pure silver that shone like gaudy jewelry in the LED light.

\tThe black bear shook his head a moment and shifted in his seat. He didn't move for a gun. Not yet. With her upgrades Kanina was somewhat sure she could stop him if he tried anyways. But then somewhat wasn't the same as certain. She watched him carefully as he scooped up a small device. Her twitching finger only causing him amusement as he shook his head. And sipped his exorbitant spirits once more.

\t``Oh come now, thumper. You can't tell me you don't recognize a credstick. Can you?''

\tIt was big enough to be one. Though the odd, almost elongated teardrop body and the gold filigree around it were unlike anything she'd seen on the station before. It took a few moments before she glanced at the gun and her gnawing note of recognition clicked into place.

\t``Wow, the dumb bunny finally figured it out. Shame it wasn't in time to save your friend. I mean, I'm sure she'll be fine. Or she won't. Customer wasn't exactly giving me `need to know' on her safety. But let me guess. Van fucked up and started talking instead of shooting. Didn't he?''

\t``That's why you don't give jobs to a burnout, Sebby.'' Kanina laughed bitterly.

\t``I figured that may happen. Then again I also figured you'd be going off after your little friend. Getting yourself shot up by the people we handed her off to. I guess I underestimated just how ruthless you can be.''

\t``Yeah? You came from the outer rim too, right Seb? This can't be too much of a shock. ``Either he didn't know, or he was toying with her. Probably the former. It was tempting to check now. To give herself away just to see if her faith was misplaced. Everything in the bunny screaming at her to just pull the trigger and get this all over with. Her finger slowly squeezing as she struggled to drive that familiarity, drive the horrorshow of Van's face out of her mind.

\tAnother click and a pair of footsteps behind her stopped all of that.

\t``P-put the gun down, Fortune.''

\tKanina winced. She kept the gun raised, yet made no motion to shift her target. ``Lacy, don't do this.'' she muttered, her throat dry and cracked. Unlike the carbine before whatever Lacy had was dumb. Nothing for her Avi to grab on to. No way to stop it if she decided to fire.

\t``I have to. You know I have to. Look, You're friend is gonna be ok. The clients just want to spook her Master, that's all. Seb even told me that he got enough from the down payment to get Sven back. He wired the money to a proxy. He, he'll be out soon.'' The heavy rhino took a few steps forwards and took another deep breath. Kanina could already feel the anxiety and desperation radiating off of her friend.

\t``What he's doing is wrong, Lacy. You know you can't do this. Please. Listen to me. You don't have to do this.''

\t``I won't let Sven get sold off! I'm not losing him!'' She sobbed as she took another step closer. ``Kanina you need to put the gun down. Now. It's the only way.''

\tSeb laughed wickedly and licked his lips ever so softly. Another small sip of the spirits slipping past his lips. ``Go on, Fortune. Listen to her. We can all be reasonable here, can't we? You've already caused more than enough trouble already haven't you?''

\tKanina's ears slumped. She looked into the other ganger's eyes and growled softly. Her grip on the gun tightening once more. ``You're not going to get Sven off at all, are you? Are you, you bastard?''

\tHis cold smirk said it all. Even as his voice dropped into a nearly theatrical tone. Faux sorrow dripping from him as he let out a long ,sad coo. ``Oh Fortune, poor Fortune. How could you say something like that? My own baby brother? How could I leave him to rot? After everything I did to raise him. To feed him. To cloth him. To teach him what it means to run in a real gang. How could you ever think I'd just leave him behind to suffer for one, small, easily forgiven mistake.''

\tSeb's avi flashed into being a moment later. Genghis Khan. The proud, black furred warlord springing into being with his war bow drawn. The attack ICE streaked from his bow as a sea of arrows. Kanina's new avi and the speed of her hardware barely able to block it with a firewall. The AR bunny girl slipping before her t o snatch and snap the arrows with impossible speed and ferocity.

\tThe same couldn't be said for her pistol. The weapon jolting her paw open as its battery pack shorted out. The gun slipping to the floor with a heavy thud. She was barrel able to register as she heard the sickening sound of Lacy screaming and collapsing behind her. The bunny girls heart stopping for a full second before she was able to hear pained whines assuring her that her friend was still alive.

\tHer distraction ended as the still half-full bottle of spirits smashed into her arm just narrowly avoiding her face. The heavy cut crystal thankfully too sturdy to shatter against her. A split second later and Kanina was pressed up against the wall. She could feel Seb's fingers on her throat. The black bear glaring at her with a mix of glee and utter hateful contempt.

\t``You stupid, bubble headed, scatterbrained little lop eared thumper whore. Do you know how much trouble you caused me? If you could have just stayed in line like Gav or Kat then none of this would have had to happen.'' She battered and scratched at his wrist, but the look on his face showed no signs that Seb was going to let go. ``Brats like you have no idea what it takes to get to the top, do you? You just got out because your mom was a good enough slut that a better brothel wanted her.'' A sudden strike from the Khan avi's mace sent tendrils of agony though Kanina. The ICE program hitting her harder and faster than her own systems could keep up with.

\t``By the time I got out I'd killed more people than I can even count. I bled for it. I worked for it. I earned my place in a higher class.''  He started to laugh as she hammered the heels of her sneakers into his gut. Kanina's frantic mine began to worry he may have pain editors or something. A fear t hat only grew worse as he tossed her aside like a rag doll.

\t``Oh but it wasn't enough. I finally hook up with a legit data gang. I get to be classy, get to be a bit more refined. Only the idiots running the show think they're playing Robin Hood or something. I don't know why it took me so long to snap that facking Jerome's neck. At least Haley had the good sense to run after that. You know I almost wish I could say I'm glad about it. I wish I was the kind of guy who felt bad at the idea of snapping some brats neck, just because she's better at the job. Just because she thinks her little title makes her special.'' Kanina pushed herself up and winced, her arms shivering and twitching under the strain. Seb's boot hitting her back smashing her back into the ground again.

\t``I wish I could. But I still regret that I never snapped that little kitten's spine when I had the chance. So I guess you'll have to do.'' The data hitting her made it hard for Kanina's arms to work with the new implants. Hell her whole body was struggling under the strain. Not helped by the fact that Seb was far stronger than he looked. The man laughing gleefully as he kicked her against the wall and started  to pace towards her. Even taking the time to carefully remove his expensive new suit jacket and set it neatly on the back of a bolt-riddled chair.

\t``Don't' worry. This'll all be over soon, thumper. Little Lacy gets to be with that idiot drug sponge brother of mine in Asgaurd, or wherever the fack they go. I can't speak to your little dirt girl. But then honestly, I don't really care.'' he laughed.

\tOne of the small windows in Kanina's AR said it all. He was compiling code to short her out. His `ware' working around her defenses. Ready to short out her nerves system before delivering a final blow. She looked up into the now gold-rimmed eyes of the bear as he gloated over her. Grabbing up the hammer she'd used to bash her way in.

\t``So, any last words?'' he laughed.

\t``Yeah.'' Kanina muttered. Her hand finally slipping into her pocket as she braced. Taking a deep sucking breath. ``Get spliced!''

\tThe data spike hit hard. Had Kanina not been laid out already odds were good she'd have probably been floored. She watched though the digital junk of her AR as Seb screamed in agony and collapsed. His limbs suddenly limp like noodles. The man sobbing in pain and fumbling to grab hold of the hammer once more.

\tIt wasn't really a picnic for the bunny either. Still she was able to get to her feet first and fumble-lop her way towards the man at a ragged pace. Her knee contacted his jaw firmly right where it hinged with his skull. The two both going sprawling onto the ground. Kanina did her best to ignore the pain and pull herself up once more. Dragging herself in closer to Sebastian and smashing her fist down into his face as hard as her weak limbs would allow. And again. And again, and again until he was able to throw his arms up for some form of cover. Kanina clawed and fumbled until she got the arms free and socked him in the face once more Pushing her knee under his now fractured jaw and shoving his head back as she struggled to keep the much larger man pinned under her weight.

\tWhatever had given him the advantage before, the spike had ended it. Kanina could slowly feel herself getting though the initial shock of his digital attacks. Pure rage and adrenaline carrying her along though each successive attack.

\t``Why? Why did you do it? The hell is wrong with you?'' She sobbed. Both fists balled up now as she hammered down against his face and chest over and over again. Warm sickly blood matting her fur with each heavy thud. She had no idea how long she kept this up. She had no idea how long it was after he stopped moving. Everything fell into a haze until finally Kanina was left slumped and shaking on the ground. Her body aching and weak, but alive. So very alive.

\tIt took a while before she was able to stand again. Even the act of sitting up threatened to topple her as that suite of sensory and responses upgrades struggled to reboot themselves fully. It left a sick taste in her mouth.

\tOr maybe that was the feel of Sebastian's blood dripping from her hands.

\tWhen she could finally move Kanina made her way to the bottle laying on the carpet. Its contents half spilled out. She yanked the topper free and let the thick burning brown liquid slip down her throat and sear its way into her gut. She then limped over to the desk and grabbed the cred stick. She looked it over for a long moment, turned, and tossed it onto the floor where Lacy was just beginning to slip back to reality.

\t``Here.'' Kanina muttered as she paced up to her friend and crouched down. ``Should still be enough left on it to get Sven out. And to make sure you two have a decent life.''

\t``How did you...'' She gasped

\t``I had some jink saved up. He turned me down. Didn't even know how much I had. This wasn't about saving Sven. I don't know what the Fack it was about. But it's pretty clear we weren't a part of his future.''

\tLacy nodded and pulled the stick in close. She slowly stood up, her body shaking like a leaf as she looked her friend over a long moment. Tears welling in those big brown eyes before she quickly turned and dashed off.

\tAlone, the bunny girl finally slumped back and stumbled over to the desk. She just barely managed to get herself slumped down in the big cushy office chair. Slipping a thick Cygnus Cigar into her muzzle and lighting it. Taking a nice hard pull as she waited for the Corpsec to show.

--------------------

\tSitting on the bumper of a squad car wasn't exactly new for Kanina. Neither was being in CorpSec binders. Though only about half of those times were a matter of her being in trouble with the law.

\tIt was almost surreal watching officers filing in and out of their little hidey hole. The home she'd grown to know for so many years now. First came Gavin and the punks he'd hired. Seeing him and Twitch both vanish into the back of another squad car hurt like hell even after everything had gone down. Kat was far worse. The burns had hit her face and most of her left arm. They actually had to have an emergency pod drone flown in just to keep her stable on the way to the hospital. For all the bitterness between the two women it still hurt to see her like this. Especially knowing now just how badly Seb played them both.

\t``Kanina Kunitdottir?'' A young man, a rather sharp dressed looking Vole officer, strode up next to the car and looked her over. His eyes clearly twitching between her and his AR readout.

\t``That would be me.'' She laughed bitterly.

\t``Now I need to make sure you understand we'll need you to remain on-station until our investigation can be completed. Your signed statement in this case is crucial to our investigation. Especially after today's events.''

\tShe snorted softly and smirked up at him. Finding it rather hard to give a look of wry cynicism with her left eye swelling shut. ``I'd have to imagine that won't be hard. I mean I'll have what, two meters of cell? Each direction, right?'' She laughed.

\t``Of course not, Ma'am. You've already been cleared.'' The officer said as he waved his hand as best as he could with a thermal drink flask in it. The cuffs falling free. ``I hope you understand that we had to keep you restrained on site until we could be sure everything checked out. Treason and corporate espionage are serious crimes, you know.''

\t``Treason? Espionage. Wait, what credentials, what are you?''

\t``It's ok.'' A familiar voice boomed. ``She's not leaving the station, officer. Not until she's done healing at any rate.''

\tThe young man stiffened up and quickly went to attention. His hand fumbling for a salute. ``Lord Thaneson, Sir. I, I wasn't expecting you to come down here personally!'' He gasped.

\tSean shook his head and sighed softly. He patted the man on the arm and snagging the flask from him. ``You mind?'' he asked ``I think she could use it.''

\t``Oh, not at all, sir! I just needed to check in. Please, if you'll excuse me.'' He gasped as he ran off quickly.

\tSean did little more than laugh as he yanked the top from the thermos and unsealed the lid. He poured a heady shot of what appeared to be cocoa into it and slipped the drink into Kanina's paws. ``Long night, huh Kani?'' He asked happily.

\t``What in Hel's name are you doing here?'' Kanina snapped ``And why did that cop just freak the fack out seeing you? More importantly, Where is Bri?''

\t``Safe.'' he said firmly ``In a witness protection room at the 15th precinct. If you hadn't sent me that message when you did'' He sighed and looked down at his feet ``Thanks.''

\t``I didn't do it for you.'' Kanina hissed. ``Whatever the Tarot were doing going after Bri, it was because of you. Whoever the hell you are. If I had any way to catch up with those bastards on my own.''

\t``I know.'' Sean nodded. ``Still, thanks.''

\tThe bunny took a heavy swig of her cocoa and leaned back. She almost made a snaky comment about the lack of booze, but thought better of it. At least for now. ``So who'd you have to bribe to get me out of this?'' She muttered ``This is Corpsec after all. Not like they care too much about who did or didn't plan, whatever facked up thing counts as treason involving Bri. Seriously what was with that?''

\tThe bear beside her laughed bitterly and shook his head. A small hand wave showing a rather authentic looking ID. Her ID, save for one thing that stuck out at her almost instantly.

\t``Under consideration of? I, wait. You registered me as your facking slave?! Dude. Get spliced!''

\t``Hey, you want to end up in that cell you were talking about or not? Like you said they don't exactly care too much who they arrest in a situation like this. Especially since every head or body bag probably ups the teams bounty too.''

\t``Yeah, but that still doesn't explain how...'' She stopped. Her eyes flashing back to the display. Finally catching the name listed on it. Those bright red eyes went wide as it all finally clicked. `Sean Thaneson'.

\t``You, you're... You're telling me that you...''

\t``Officially, you're duties are listed as Brinna's hand maiden and escort. You had hearted a gang you once held ties to were seeking to kidnap her and use her as leverage to extort me. Legally you were simply my property, my agent, coming in to do what was in my best interest. You don't have to hide it any longer, Kani. I let the officers know everything.''

\tThe smug words drew a scowl. The bunny glared at him with every ounce of hate she could muster and most of what she wished she could, if he didn't have a Woz damn point. ``Understood, Lord Thaneson.'' She muttered as she took another sip of her cocoa.

\tSean leaned in and murred softly. ``I'd give it a few months before you decide to null the consideration status. I mean it may just be on paper, but we don't want to have anyone get suspicious now do we? I may be a prince, but I'm not above the law after all'' He laughed as he patted her on the back ``And of course that means it's your `duty' to stick by Bri like glue, right?''

\t``Yes, Lord Thaneson.'' She said again, nodding and slumping just a bit harder.

\t``Now now.'' Sean laughed loudly ``We've been over this before, my little coral treasure'' he chuckled playfully ``You'll have to get used to saying it in public some time.'' He stood over her smugly with his arms crossed. Looking at her expectantly.

\t``Yes... Master.'' She grumbled. Cheeks flaring bright red from the shame.

\t``That's better. Now I need to go check on Brinna. You'll have a car waiting for you outside the hospital after you're all patched up. You men take good care of my girl here. She's a hero! Mother may even give her a medal for this one.''

\tShe watched the smug grizzly saunter off, his hips shaking a bit, the man clearly pleased with himself. It was almost worth the inevitable jail time she'd get to chuck her cocoa at him. Almost. Instead Kanina simply refilled the cup and let herself slip back into the near unconscious bliss that only hard work and pain could bring.

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