Noah woke up from the troubled sleep he had last night in the extremely comfortable bed in the hotel room. He was unable to think up of any solutions overnight. The black wolf threw off the covers, went to the window and stared at the dawn over New York. He decided on taking a shower, so he walked into the well lit bathroom, stripped nude and turned on the water with the hot tap. The steaming hot water washed over his body and cleansed most of his doubts away. They still existed but were pushed back to a corner of his mind that he could deal with later. The wolf lathered some shower gel and spread it around his torso, to get rid of the dust and sweat that had accumulated overnight. His muscles stood out in sharp contrast to the scars on his body, a remnant of the conflicts that he was involved in. Noah rinsed off and shut the water off and dried himself off with his towel. Then there was a knock at the door and Noah wrapped the towel around his waist. The door was then opened and Noah saw a fox with a scar on his face in the doorway. “Scratch reporting for duty sir!” Noah looked at this enforcer that was assigned to him. Well he was better than nothing Noah thought. “Well then Scratch, have you eaten breakfast yet?” Noah said, thinking that it was likely due to how early in the morning it was that Scratch might not have had any breakfast. “Sir?” Scratch asked, there were few whispers about a pitch black wolf that was the hidden hand of the S/D boss. Noah fitted the shaky rumors that were passed along the enforcers. “I haven’t eaten yet and I was wondering if you’ll join me. You can come on in.” Noah stepped back inside his hotel room with Scratch following. The black wolf peeked inside the fridge in the cooking area. “You want some scrambled eggs?” Noah asked the fox and when Scratch gave a confused nod the black wolf began to break some eggs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steven woke up when the sounds of the city began to increase in pitch. While New York had so much energy and movement it could have been labeled the city that never sleeps, but at night it might not have stopped but did slow down. Dew had gathered on the leaves of the plants that surrounded Steven, and he used that to wash his face. Now Steven thought he would be ready to investigate that exhibit that was appearing in the Metropolitan. He quietly snuck out from where he hid and took his time heading towards the Metropolitan; it would be a while till the museum opened so there was not a big rush to arrive quickly. Also walking slowly would allow Steven to work toward not being noticeable. Then Steven’s stomach made a tiny growl and the white wolf made a little frown of discomfort. Food could also wait, was what Steven told himself but the scents in the air from vendors made it difficult for the message to stick. Then one of the vendors seemed to have overcooked his wares and the scent of burning filled the air. It reached Steven’s nose and he looked down on the ground as faded memories were remembered, what his expression was though of these memories could not be easily told for it faintly lay between the fine line between humor and sorrow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Scratch had ordered the hotel staff that was sent to check the cause of the alarm back with the assurance that everything was under control. The majority of employees and the owner of the hotel chain were members of S/D so they would believe the assurance. However even the fox couldn’t believe what had happened as he went back into the hotel room. The smoke from the seared eggs had mostly cleared though the blackened charred remains still were in the frying pan. A used fire extinguisher was dumped to one of the corners of the room. Noah was sitting in a chair holding his head in his hands. “Heh” Noah laughed “even all this time I still can’t cook simple plates of scrambled eggs, and I’m supposed to have fire.” The black wolf raised his eyes towards the window and began fingering his sun pendant. “If only…” he said. “Sir?” Scratch said, the fox was a little shaken by the eggs catching fire and burning only a few seconds after the black wolf started to cook them. It was so surprising that at first Scratch could not believe his eyes. However he did believe his ears when the fire alarm began to ring. He sprung into action using a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and then called the front desk to inform them of what happened. The black wolf was startled from whatever he was thinking “Oh it’s nothing, looks like it’ll be better if I don’t cook. Why don’t we get something outside? I’ll just let the front desk tell Bradley and Deon that we’ve gone out.” “Sir is that wise?” Scratch asked for he thought that more time might be wasted if the two others that were to join them had to search for Scratch and Noah as well. “It’ll be fine, the desk can give them my cell number and we’ll meet them there.” Noah said as he threw off the towel around his waist. Scratch got a good view of Noah’s body and licked his lips as Noah began to dress. Scratch himself was a dominant and liked to be in charge in bed. Yet the black wolf stirred a desire in Scratch for that hardened body to take him right then and there. Scratch thought that perhaps even having the black wolf discipline him if he got out of line. Noah had some sort of charisma that burned through and invaded the very air. It was only slightly held back by the clothing that the black wolf had put on. “Now let’s hurry up, I’m starving.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- It wasn’t noticeable to the casual observer but Steven could see the reach of S/D in the city. The white wolf was walking towards the museum and couldn’t help but notice the masses of people that were on the streets. He could tell how deeply the group had spread its influence from the sheer number of watches and other signs of S/D membership. Nearly every male that the white wolf could spot bore some indication that they were members of S/D. Each and every male that Steven saw under S/D’s influence twisted his stomach yet at the same time made Steven more determined to oppose S/D as it was now. The reasons why were entirely his own and perhaps that made him one of the most dangerous foes to the organization. They were personal but that didn’t mean that weren’t the same as important; on the contrary some things become personal because they are important. Steven now stood on the steps of the Metropolitan Art Museum, and went inside. --------------------------------------------------------- Noah had left a message and number at the hotel’s front desk for Bradley and Deon when they would show up. The black wolf went out with Scratch looking for a place to eat. The streets were filled with members of S/D walking out in broad daylight. Noah approved, New York was a testament to how strong the organization’s reach had spread. The advancements of the modern world had given S/D an edge to spreading their message that could have never been imagined in Noah’s wildest dreams. Yet in spite of the mass of males that S/D had saved, there were still others out there that they had yet to reach. In the end would S/D’s work ever be done and would it worth it? Noah wondered to himself while walking the streets of New York. There wasn’t much conversation between the two as they walked the streets of the city. The silence drew memories back to Noah’s mind. These thoughts remained in the back of the wolf’s head and his gaze wandered. This didn’t go unnoticed by Scratch but at the moment Noah was the leader in this assignment, so Scratch just dismissed Noah’s behavior as coming up with a plan. “Sir why don’t we stop here?” Scratch asked gesturing to a sidewalk café. The black wolf agreed with the fox and both requested a table outside. The two sat down and ordered enough to actually make their meal more of a brunch. “Now tell why you think that you’re qualified to help me in chasing after Benjamin Ville.” Noah said as he drunk some freshly brewed coffee. “I know little to nothing about you except for the fact that you were assigned to work under me. I don’t want to find out some nasty surprise later. I wouldn’t put it past Julius even when he needs me to do something for him.” Scratch straightened up, he had his pride as an enforcer challenged and he wasn’t going to let that go down. “Sir I’m the one who was able to capture the other two runaways that escaped.” He said and pointed towards the table. “Only two?” Noah smirked. “What that’s not good enough for you?” Scratch said. “It’s better than what you’ve been doing.” “No, no it’s fine, just wondering if you’re good enough to handle one runaway that’s eluded us for seven years.” Noah said, their orders had come to their table and the black wolf dug in. “That Benjamin guy right?” Scratch asked the fox picked at his own plate watching the black wolf warily. Noah looked up from his brunch “So you’ve heard of him?” Scratch grimaced at his food. “There’s a lot of talk about him in the enforcers’ divisions.” A lot of talk was an understatement; the runaway was a constant headache to that particular branch of S/D. It all started with the unlocked transport door and snowballed from there. That blasted runaway wolf eluded the enforcers’ arm for far too many times. Ben slipped up being under the employ of one of the members but the capture was bungled. Then the wolf managed to escape yet again with the help of another person, now long since turned. Now this suicide escape happened, and it was a giant blow towards the enforcers and balancers. Those two groups were now skittish in executing their duties, in S/D’s history there was never a fatality in their operations and the possibility of the first death was having a serious effect. If this kept up a decline of S/D’s operations would result from the damaged morale. To tell the truth when Scratch overheard that some enforcers were being selected in a mission to see if Ben was alive, he jumped at the opportunity and hoped that he would be selected. The fox loved his work for S/D and would go to nearly any lengths to promote its agenda. Noah’s cell phone rang and the wolf picked up and a short conversation was held. Then the black wolf snapped shut his cell phone. “Finish up; we’ll be meeting at the Brooklyn Bridge after this.” Noah said. The hunt for Benjamin would soon begin, after they finished paying for the bill of course. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There were some instances of Modern Art that were a mystery to Steven, such as nothing but canvases of lines of different colors on white. However this wasn’t the reason that Steven was here. The wolf was just waiting until the crowd around the exhibit that he was here for had lessened. The exhibit in question was called “Mysteries of Art” a collection of artworks that baffled the world in meaning, technique, or history. In particular there was one thing that Steven needed to see in person. It was an item that could determine whether Steven’s opposition to S/D was hopeless or possible. The only thing the wolf needed to do now was to wait, and he did so patiently.