Cu bs of Wildstar Elementary 3 - Warm Welcomes

	In the wake of the battle that just transpired, the cubs all sat at one of the birthday party tables in near-silence, decompressing after such an action-packed afternoon. It was definitely time to go home, but after excitement like that, logically, nobody should be going home by themselves. Rekka had already texted her uncle to pick her up, now just looking on at her phone and texting back and forth with their friend that had stayed home, just to keep her mind occupied in the quiet. Terry was waiting for his older sister to come by and take him home. He had a lot on his mind, more than the others, thinking about how much he’d been through that day. His eyes stared off at the badger who was sitting on the floor beside the bat, who, at the time seemed to be further lecturing him on his actions. Maverick and Taku were both discussing with each other on why the badger chose this arcade, and today of all days. 
Not long after, though, a car pulled up to the lot, and a teenage brown mouse opened the doors to the back entrance of the arcade. “H’loo!” A girl wearing a lavender-colored sweater and lace white skirt, dressed quite similarly to Terry, carrying quite the bright and energetic personality with her, spotted the table of kids, raising a hand to excitedly wave at them. “Ready to go, lil’ Terriberry?” 
“Missy!” The mouse cheerfully called out for his older sibling, before turning toward his friends. “Ah, looks like that’s my ride. I’ll see you guys tomorrow in class.” Terry said, although his voice was a little off-kilter, adrenaline was still running through him at everything that just transpired. He gripped his backpack, swinging it over his shoulders, before waving them off and heading out, albeit with a bit of a nervous twitch in his tail as he sauntered out with his older sibling. 
	Taku, however, had no such issue heading out on his lonesome. “Alright guys…” He began, stretching his arms above his head, that black tee shirt riding up his tummy a bit. He seemed almost completely unshaken by any of what went on. “...on that note, I’m heading out, too. Mom and dad will be a little worried if I get in late. Plus, I still got homework due in the morning. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” He said, hoisting his backpack over his shoulders before making his way toward the door.
	“Hold up. Why head out on your own, this was kinda a big deal, dude.” The little wolf explained. “Usually we kids aren’t supposed to be getting into hero stuff, so uh...shouldn’t you chill until we can all go home safe? That was kind of a lot, and if something happens when you’re by yourself…” Her tone cairied a genuine tone of concern for him. 
	The rabbit seemed completely unphased, however. He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s fine. He’s not a bad-bad guy or anything. I doubt he has any backup. I should be fine. I was going to walk home anyways so now’s a good time. It’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said, without another word, heading out of the door shortly after the rodents. 
	“He’s so weirdly stubborn sometimes.” The wolf said, kicking back in her chair, face contorted in a bit of an annoyed grimace. “Speaking of, Uncle Logan is picking us up. He’ll drop you off at home before he takes me. Dad’s still at work.”
	“Yeah, so are mine. They won’t be back til like 6 or 7. So the ‘sitter should be in today. So I’ll be alright at home.” 
	The duo continued to chat with one another, as well as the owner who came by to check up on them, but not long before a somewhat slender wolf came in through the door. He was somewhat tall, crystal blue eyes brimming through the dark grey fur. His hair, a deep black draped down to his neck, tips trailing off into a white smokey color. He scanned his surroundings for a moment, before heading in, nodding to the duo that was still left sitting at the party table. “Yo, you two lovebirds are the only ones left? How am I not surprised.” Smooth voice rolled out of his mouth as that smarmy grin appeared on his face. 
	“H-hey!” The fox slammed both of his paws on the table. “She is NOT! Not even close!”
	The little wolf rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up, Uncle Logan. Like I’d be into that dorkface.” She chuckled, rolling her eyes as she rose to her feet. “Let’s go though. I think we had as much fun as we’re gonna today.” She said, eyes looking over to the bat who was watching the badger intently, even doing a bit of a cocky twirl of his bat as she walked out with it, most definitely to intimidate him further as she made her exit. The older male caught onto it, looking over at the defeated creature, letting off a soft laugh of his own. 
	“Alright, let’s roll. I’m sure the owner over there has some stuff he needs to attend to. By the way...” He eyed the aluminum club that was in his niece’s hand. “...I take it you won that today?”
	“Oh yeah.” She smirked as she walked out of the exit, taking in that cool air. “...All of us pooled what we had together and I ended up getting this as a prize.” She took the weapon, raising it above her head before bringing it down in a few overhead swings like one would a broadsword. “I’m definitely keeping this.” After showing off a bit, she gave it a twirl and let it rest on her slender shoulders, beaming proudly at her new possession. 

	Once the trio entered the car, the older lupine looked back at the two that sat in the back seats. “Oh? Not gonna sit up by your dear ol’ uncle today in the front?” He asked, smirking at the pair. “No I see how it is. Hanging out with a boy and suddenly you’re too cool for me, eh?” The man offered a teasing wink toward his young niece, before turning around to pull off. 
	“H-hey! Dammit Unc you know it’s not like that!” The young wolf’s face was bright red from that ribbing, always having a hard time coming back at her uncle, her reaction and Mavericks seeming to mirror each other from the teasing just minutes ago.
“Hahaha, nah, you know it’s not like that, dude.” Maverick looked over toward Logan’s seat with a grin of his own, snickering at one of those rare moments of seeing his friend on the verbal backfoot. “So, you do legit plan on keeping the bat? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you play baseball, or at least not that much, do you even know how to use the thing?”
	She placed the bat over her lap, looking down, even letting her fingers trace over the smooth, metallic weapon. “I’ll learn. I felt something in it when I held it. Like it’s supposed to be mine. My heat went right though it, like it was meant to be. So yeah, this is totally mine from now on. You know me, if I don’t know something, I’ll figure it out. I mean, look at the thing…” She said, feeling along some of the rough grooves and scratches that adorned the shaft. “...Kinda reminds me of me. All these scars that show that it’s just as much of a boss as I am. Better in my hands than that dummy, anyways.”
	“Interesting way to look at it.” The adult chimed up as they pulled to a stoplight. “I’ll show you some stuff you can do with it during training…and some stuff you shouldn’t do. I know you have a habit of getting carried away when you’re into something a little too much. Scared you’re gonna end up knocking someone’s head off if you’re not trained.” He laughed once again.
	“Yep. I can totally see it. Imagine the news. “Local Wolf Pup literally too angry to wield a bat. Criminal’s head flies to the moon. More at 11!” Maverick laughed alongside him. “Hey Mr. Logan, I know you don’t do much of like, the hero work anymore, but you’re still out taking on bad guys all the time, yeah? Do you usually keep souvenirs like this, too?” 
	Rekka, rather than feeling incredulous at the taunts and accusations, was actually glowing from it. If anything, she knew she was a badass, and she was glad that it seemed others knew it, too. Once she heard that question, she perked up, looking for that validation that she wasn’t doing the wrong thing here. “Yeah, do you usually keep the stuff of people you beat down?”
	“Meh, if I have to.” The male shrugged his shoulders. “But why would I even need one when I got these two fists? They’re pretty much registered as deadly weapons as it is. No need to pick up anything when a good, unseen fist to the face is enough to win most fights.” He bragged. “Pardon the pun but I have a pretty good habit of smoking anyone that wants to bring it.”
	“Yeah but my dad would still beat your butt.” Rekka counter-bragged.
	“He’ll try.” Logan responded.
	“You two are dorks.” Maverick responded with his own laugh, which, despite how annoyed Rekka wanted to pretend to be, she couldn’t help but to laugh along with, prompting Logan to do the same. 
	The mood stayed very cheerful and upbeat in the car for the rest of the ride to Maverick’s place. They were honestly happy to see nothing of note happen on the way there. Despite the trio in the car always being ready for action, after a long day at work for Logan, and an even longer one for the kids, they were just happy to have the chance to get home with no incident. As the wolf rounded the corner, he remained quiet so the duo could continue chatting and reminiscing about their day, as well as challenging each other for track practice the following day. The dark blue luxury sedan pulled up to the street curb now, and Mavy turned toward Rekka, smirking and holding up a fist to her. In response, the girl pounded her own fist into his.
	“Catch ya tomorrow. Get some sleep.” Mavy unbuckled his seatbelt, opening the door. “Eat right. I want to make sure you feel it when I smoke ya on the track tomorrow.” He hopped out of the car now, flashing a peace sign to her.
	“Cute. Big talk. But you’re not allowed to say anything so long as I got this.” She said, holding up that silver coin, then winking at him. “Good luck, Hot Wind!” She laughed. Maverick couldn’t help his own laughter, either. 
“Bye Mr. Logan, thanks a ton for the ride! Tell me more about some of the fun stuff you do next time!” He shut the door, then stopped short as he watched the car drive away. “D-did she just call me a fart?!” He then laughed, and with a shake of his head and a gentle sigh, his head turned toward the house, now, and he began to make his way down the lawn. 

	Upon entering the front yard of the two-story house he lived in, the fox felt something shift in the air. As those sneakers heard the shifting of the grass beneath his feet, those steps became slower. More careful. Cautious. Something was coming. A few more steps forward, wary, but body language was aimed to arouse no suspicion. Once he crossed the threshold onto the sidewalk leading into the front door, the trap was sprung. The door swung open wide and a younger creature launched through the door, a foot sticking straightforward, aiming at the cub’s face blazed before him in an instant. “GOTCHA THIS TIME!” The youthful puppy shouted. Just as quickly was the trap sprung, was he able to react with no issue. His hand grabbed the ankle of that platinum-furred girl, before he spun once, tossing her toward the middle of the lawn.
The young poodle, no older than 7 years old took the toss with the same elegance and grace as a seasoned, martial artist. She was clad in a pair of black biker shorts and a cut off crimson tee shirt that extended only down to her navel, emblazoned with a gold dragon resting on the center of her chest. Every bit as agile as the fox, the young girl recovered midair and landed with a skillful 3-point landing. Once her feet and paw hit the ground, that duo of long braids flared up, and the poodle puppy’s mis-matched silver and red eyes looked back at her brother’s, a challenging grin plastered on her face. After the landing, she launched forward, using that momentum to place her on the offensive, immediately going into a series of punches and kicks at the preteen boy, in an impressive display of Jeet Kun Do martial arts, to which the fox would have to, with a a bit of effort, dodge each and every single one. A low sweep did force Maverick to jump over, and in that instant, her fist was almost driven into his chest, only to be blocked by his arms crossing quickly, the impact, lessened by a small veil of air the kit cast around himself, caused the fox to be sent flying a few feet into the air. With his quick reflexes, he opened his paws and seemingly gripped the air to slow his descent back down to the lawn. Another dash forward from the girl, throwing in quick succession a spin kick, heel drop, and rapid fist flurry at the fox, who was doing his best to deflect each and every one. After a quick backstep, putting a little distance between each other, the kids made eye contact, grinning to each other, fists balled. The power behind her paws was felt as she built up strength; those fingerless biker gloves heard straining a little as she prepared for her next power attack. Maverick caught onto that, and knowing what that power-packed puppy could dish out, he went in to counter. He summoned the air around his own closed palm, and the two threw down. Their fists collided, causing a small shockwave, causing the grass to tremble around them, the shockwave of air and force from the collision sliced the blades of grass around them, creating a small indent in the grass where the two made contact. The pup’s twin ponytails even fluttered behind her from the impact, and same for Maverick’s tied-back hair. Their eyes locked, and both offered each other a rather confident grin to each other. After the eye contact, the epic fist bump broke and the girl moved in again, this time wrapping her arms around his body. “Welcome home big bro!” She giggled. Maverick couldn’t help but to immediately calm down after such a wild greeting, raising a hand and petting along her head. 
	“Heh, thanks Rika. But really you should see how I’m feeling before ya come out swinging. If I came out after track like that you woulda gotten the cheapest win ever.” He chuckled, now ruffling her hair a little more roughly. “Just got back from stoppin’ a robbery at the arcade, I’ll tell ya about it once we get inside.” 
	She gasped, stars twinkling in her equally heterochromatic eyes. “I want to hear! Come on, come on! Bon-Bon’s here today. So she made us PBJ and Choc’late Milk!” She beamed, tugging his hand and pulling him with a strength that the boy couldn’t refuse if he wanted. Despite how precise and skilled her attacks are in combat, it’s easy to forget her herculean strength sometimes. Once he was dragged into the house, he was immediately greeted by a white rabbit, standing in the entrance to greet the fox as the duo entered the threshold.
	“Hey there Breezie-butt! Nice fight.” The bunny pulled the fox into a hug, following up by ruffling his hair up a bit. Maverick always had such an admiration for this girl, as shown by the almost uncontrollable tail wagging that followed into that embrace. She pulled away, straightening her pink skirt. She was never one for modesty, considering the miniskirt came down to cover about a third of her legs. Her top was pretty showy, too, enough to cover her chest and a little below. To match with the pink colors of her outfit, she had long, flowing purple locks that stretched down to her mid-back, matching those majestic violet hues that looked right into the young boy’s. “You look a little tired today. Track practice?”
	“Nah...was a little bit of a mess after laser tag. I’ll tell you two about it in a sec.” The fox stepped back, haphazardly tossing his bag over onto the recliner. “First, though, I hear we got PB’s? I’ll tell ya about it while I munch.” He said, stretching his arms as he headed to the kitchen. The babysitter nodded to him upon hearing that.
	“‘Kay, milk’s in the fridge, sammies are on the counter, and I’m on the couch. Rika and I were watching “The Hidden Azelia vs the Golden Magnolia.” She stated, holding her right hand up in the air, the pads of her paws glowing a bright pink, technological lines streaking across them momentarily as an equally bright purple, holographic remote appeared in the air. Her fingers tapped a button, and the television responded in turn, pausing the movie since it was playing in the background as she focused on the children. As she settled herself back in, the poodle puppy joined her, leaning her head into the rabbit’s arm, eagerly awaiting for the movie to resume. In short order, Maverick returned, a trio of sandwiches on his plate, while balancing 3 full cups of chocolate milk in his fingers, clumsily spilling little droplets here and there before reaching his destination, placing the plate first, then the 3 drinks on their respective coasters. 
With a thud, he flopped right back against the couch, sitting on the bun’s other side, putting his arms behind his head. “So, to tell the tale of how my friends and I totally stopped a robbery, we gotta go back to the beginning. I was born in a-” He didn’t even finish the sentence before he felt a playful fist bonk him on top of his head, causing him to stick his blue tongue out, just before chuckling, getting the point. He did regale the tale of how they used their teamwork skills to stop the badger, only embellishing just a little bit, and not just for himself but to make them seem like a great team together.
Rika was completely enamored with this heroic tale, gripping onto Bon-Bon’s thigh as she leaned in and listened. Bon-Bon, on the other hand, remained cool as a cucumber and even laughed at some of the small fluffy bits of his story, but getting the ultimate gist of it all. “Well, you guys could really go on to become a legit hero squad on your own before you’re even grown ups. I’m impressed!” She cheered for him.
Mavy, loving that sort of positive reinforcement, could only chuckle as that shy blush descended upon his cheeks. “T-thanks. I’m just glad I had almost everyone there with me. Woulda been perfect if Vannie came with.” He said with a bit of a disappointed shrug. “I’m sure Rekka’s gonna fill her in though.” 
	 After the chit-chat, the trio settled onto the couch, getting more into watching the movie in quiet. The timing of that fist from the young heroic tiger smashing into the tummy of the villainous red panda, an all-too familiar screeching of tires outside rang through the house, which could only mean one thing. “Oh! Mommy’s home!” The puppy hopped up, running to the door, standing a few feet from it as her tail swished and swayed excitedly. The door opened, and in walks a tan shark, dressed in a black sports bra and a pair of tattered blue jeans, oil staining those pants along the legs and the scales of her arms. 
	“Ey, kids.” The tall woman greeted them, walking by and patting the puppy along the head, before putting a hand on her back, ushering her into the living room with her. “Hey Bon. Kids were good today?” She asked, eyes glancing at the movie that was still rolling in the background. “Oh? This movie? Such a classic!” She beamed, those sharky teeth gleaming as she looked on at it, lazily crashing herself down on the couch beside the rabbit, replacing the poodle’s spot, before waving her over to sit in her lap, which the child happily took. 
	“Oi! Mom, you’re gonna get the couch dirty! Go change first!” The fox said, giving the woman a stern look. “Dad gets driven crazy when you do that!” The shark looked right back at the kid, their eyes locking with sparks immediately flaring up between them. In between them, a rather nervous looking rabbit, whose head was darting back and forth, looking at them both.
	“...I thought I was the parent around here, and who do you think you are, pup?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
	“Somebody that clearly cares about not gettin’ dirt and oil all over the furniture that I like to lie on, obviously.” He responded with that smartass tone. 
	“...Know what? You’re actually right.” She said, easing up as she picked up the puppy and placing her on her shoulder. “Alright Rika. Clearly we’re not appreciated here, let’s go, since it seems Maverick doesn’t want to properly greet his beloved mother after she put in such a hard day at work to keep sandwiches on the table and milk in the fridge.” She said, her free hand putting in a dramatic gesture, running a hand through her raven-black hair, one of her amber eyes still open to look at the boy she was teasing.
	“Rika had nothing to do with this.” He countered. “Hehe, go get changed, mom. Dad should be home soon and then I got something awesome to tell you both about.” He said, with an excited grin plastered on his face.
	“It really is super cool!” The pup chimed in from on high. “I can’t wait to get to bust up bad guys the way he did!” 
	“That so? Well then, I can’t wait to hear. Alright, let’s go change, we’ll talk about it over dinner.” She said, heading down the hall leading to the master bedrooms, waving off the two that were still left in the living room. 
	Minutes later, the door opened up now, the last part of the family arriving now. A sand-colored lynx with long, dark brown hair, walks in, a few bags in hand as though he just came from a shopping trip. The man always looked fresh off the runway no matter where he went. His slender, rather effeminate body radiated confidence, a powerful presence matched with a strong sense of style.  Today’s style was a pair of faded blue jeans, white shirt and an open, blue button up shirt billowing behind. “Not interrupting anything, am I?” He asked, looking at the pair that were watching the movie.
	“Ah, hey dad!” The boy said, looking at him upside-down from his position, head comfortably resting upon Bon-Bon’s thighs. “Mom’s in the shower with Rika, so we’re just kinda hanging out for now. 
	“Gotcha. More of those Kung Flicks, eh? Hehe, you kids probably have more talent and skills than anybody in these movies, it still baffles me that you even watch them.” He put a hand up to let off a little giggle behind it. “Alright, I’mma go change, too. My agent says hi, by the way.” he said, tossing the boy one of the bags in his hands. 
	“Hm? Mr. Alexis?” He sat up now, the rabbit adjusting herself to look as well at this gift the kid received. He opens it up, pulling out a pair of pants. They were solid white, only breaking that to have the left leg appear as blue from the knee down. “Woah, what do they do?” 
	“Heh, already figured out they weren’t normal pants, eh?” He asked with a light chuckle. “They’re specially designed for really mobile people. Suited for speedsters and wind users. There are countless micro-vents in them that let the air flow through and support speed, without having to be skin tight or worry about shredding from the movement. I had been working on these for a bit and he was finally able to get them done, just for you!” 
	“Yooo, this is so cool!” He said, excitedly pulling the pair of pants close to himself and hugging onto them. “Aaah you’re the best, dad!” He squealed. 
	“You’re such a dork, I’ve never seen a kid get so excited for clothes.” The rabbit responded, putting her hand on his head and ruffling his silver locks a bit. “You’re so weird.”
	“Hey no! Style is, like, super important to me. Style that can work with powers are even better. Your powers are all techy and nerdy so you don’t understand!” He teased, sticking his tongue out at the girl. “I’m gonna go try these on! Give Mr. Alexis a big hug from me next time you see him!” Mavy sprung up onto his feet with the widest grin. 
	“Alright. Dinner should be on the way here. Ordered some pasta for us all so we’ll have a nice dinner tonight.” The lynx said as he started to head back toward the master bedrooms.
	“Mr. Cosmo?” The teen rabbit piped up, getting to her own feet. “I got a text a little bit ago, won’t be able to stay for food, but make sure to leave me some pasta for tomorrow, ‘kay?” She said, once again opening her hand, creating that holographic remote, and turning off the television. She snagged her backpack and headed toward the front door. “Good seeing you and Ms. Paka tonight. I’ll see you later this week!” The babysitter took that moment to nod at the man, walking up to Maverick and pulling him into a very loud and obnoxious kiss to his cheek. “Mmmmwah! Hehe, catch ya little dude.” She said, offering a fist bump to him.
	“Ah Booooon!” He whined from the smooch, before laughing it off and meeting his fist with hers. “Aight, see ya later Bon.” He smiled, watching her make her departure. The snowy-white rabbit took a few steps, then after a jump, used her technological construction ability to create a hardlight skateboard beneath her feet before she landed, speeding off down the driveway and down the street. 
	Once he saw the girl leave, admiring how she was able to so seamlessly slip into her ability to skateboard away with no incident. The fox even thought back to the time she tried helping him learn on the half pipe at the skate park. “Someday I’m gonna learn how to board as good as you…” He mumbled to himself, before chuckling and heading up the stairs. The pads of his paws gently glided along the white bannister as he looked on at the various affects lining the walls heading up. A rather unique looking, oriental mask. A golden, ancient looking wrench, adorned with sapphires along the shaft. A round shield with orbs of different elements adorning around the brim. Relics of the family’s adventures past. Once he made it up, his eyes went to the end of the hall, he looked toward the room on the left, heading towards it. He stopped to take a look at the door, admiring the plaque that hung there. A blue lotus flower beneath the text that simply said “Azure’s Room.” He loved that gift he got from his mom. 
	Upon entering the room, he walked in and collapsed on the bed, pulling out his phone and shooting a text to his father to ask when it was time to come down, with a response shortly after that informed him he had about 45 minutes. That was all he needed to hear. Looks like a quick bath was in order here. Before that, though, he hopped up, shucking off the pants he wore that day and quickly sliding on the new pair. Slightly baggy on him, but nothing too outrageous. Very comfortable, breathable, too. The cub took a few hops in place to get a feel for the new material, before throwing a few high-energy kicks, jumps and spins. “Okay okay! These ain’t bad. But now for the real test.” The fox closed his eyes, channeling his powers and letting a gust flow down his body and through his pants. They didn’t billow, but instead, the air seemed to be pressing itself outward toward his feet through them. “This feels pretty good, actually.” He smiled to himself, before taking a second to plant his feet, then kicked once more, sending a blade of air to flow right from his leg, summarily knocking down one of his race trophies off his dresser. “Oh! Crap!” He shot out a hand quickly, barely catching it on a clumsy tuft of air, letting it harmlessly flutter to the floor. “Hooh...right. Not supposed to test powers in the bedroom.” He went over to the trophy, grabbing it off the ground and looking on at it with a rather fond look. “Heh, if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have the friends I have now.” He grinned, placing it up on the dresser again. “...And Rekka’s never gonna forgive me for beating her that day.” 
	The cub’s bedroom wasn’t anything one would call lavish. A navy blue rug with white windswept slashes lied in the middle of his room. A large Queen-sized bed on one side, and the other, his desk with his computer and speaker system on top. At the north face of his bed, a dresser with a television on top, clothes folded and put away neatly. Not something a usual child would be up to, but Maverick cherished every stitch of clothing that he owned. The rest, however, did paint the picture of a prepubescent boy. Trading cards were strewn about beside his bed, with some stacked rather neatly beside the pile, a sign of a kid in the middle of organizing. Toward his desk was a small box of toys. Action figures, collectables, and various nicknacks that he either picked up from missions, or just found over time. There were some strewn around on the floor as well, much to his parent’s chagrin. After placing his trophy somewhere safe again, he decided it was time for a quick shower before dinner. 
	As the boy stood in the shower, his eyes closed and he took in the scents of the bathroom that he set up. Lavender scented oil burning in the bathroom that he shared with his younger sister. Took a little while to set up the proper aesthetics, mixing the fox’s love for the color blue with her red, but found a happy medium in a regal purple theme. Once the water was sufficiently hot, the kit stepped in, shut his eyes, and began to decompress, replaying the battle that commenced at the arcade, running through a gambit of emotions and analyses that came with such an action-packed situation. He felt the sting of failure as he was unable to prevent Terry from taking the damage at the outset of the fight. If something goes down, he needs to step in front to make sure that Terry doesn’t get hurt. He doesn’t have powers like the rest of them. He doesn’t deserve to be caught up in the crossfire of a fight he can’t handle. He then thought of the triumph of his teamwork with Rekka. If there was one thing that made him swell with pride is just how little communication he needed to have with that wolf, the two able to move in sync like nobody else. Taku was so awesome during that, as always. It just feels like he’s holding back sometimes, but with how powerful he seems to be, that might be for the best. Dang, though. The only thing truly missing from all of this is having Savannah there to coordinate, or even put in her own input. He didn’t want to do anything without being a full squad again. It just doesn’t feel right.
	The remaining time was spent thinking about that guy. That coyote. How was someone like him related to Eric? He’s a monster. The fox sighed, leaning against the back wall of the shower, the water running over his head now as he got deeper in thought. “...He’s going to be pissed that he got kicked out.” He muttered aloud. “...I got a really bad feeling about this one. I hope Eric’s gonna be alright. As much as we had to deal with, Eric lives with the dude.” He took in another deep breath, then sighed. “He’s lived with him this long…he should be alright.” He finished up his shower shortly after, calming his thoughts and just letting the relaxing scents and sounds of his nightly routine take over. After finishing, he rushed out, toweled off, and grabbed something comfy to wear, a tee shirt a couple sizes too large, and a pair of loose-fitted shorts. 
“Mavy! Dinner’s here!” He heard the siren call of his younger sister announce the delivery had arrived. Even had she not spoken up, the fox would have noticed the scent of Chicken Alfredo anywhere. A wide grin spread on his face, and he bounded to the stairs. Grabbing the rail, he jumped, letting the air guide his descent to the landing, and with that, bounded into the dining room.
“Woo, this looks awesome!” He said, checking out the spread that was before him. A gorgeous array of pastas of varying flavors, a few different types of bread, salad, and sides. His mouth was watering as he slowly stepped in.
“I got the deal to go through today so I decided that today would a good day to celebrate. Alexis and I managed to talk with Aerowear, and they hired us to set up their designs for Air and Water-based clothes. So it looks like we’re going to have a pretty nice license coming through!” Cosmo announced. “Which also means more style options for our little gust of trouble here.” He reached over, ruffling the hair of the boy that sat down beside him. 
“Oh hell yeah! That’s awesome babe. Let’s hope you cut those other deals and end up with the whole gambit of elements to play with. Yeah, it’s definitely celebration time!” The shark blurted out. Her voice always had so much power and energy to it. A potent mix of a little gruff, a little brash, but a little sweet, and even a hint of motherly. “So, I take it you went a little all-out then, didn’t you?”
“Oh, indeed it is.” That soft spoken voice cracked a small giggle. Cosmo spoke with a much more soft, smooth, silky tone. Non-threatening as can be, and gentle as the softest cloud. “And indeed, I have.” He said, rising up, grabbing a few things from the fridge. “For me, the fanciest Rose’ that I could procure.” That last word was spoken with a little bit of flair, and accompanying wink toward his girl. “For you…” He brought to the table a case of some very foreign looking drinks. “Ale from Goldenshire. The freshest imports for you, my dear.” He sang, before heading back, now grabbing two more boxes. “Of course I couldn’t leave you two kids out.”
Maverick and Rika were intrigued. Both of them leaned in the direction of the lynx as he sauntered around the table, sliding the boxes in front of the two. “For you, Mavy, the freshest of cannoli.” The vulpine was stunned. No words, just wide-eyed adoration for the dessert that was just offered to him. It may have been a common dessert for him, but he could tell these were made very fresh, and very specially for him. “Traveled to the other side of Milestone to grab that for you. And for you, Rika…” He spun once, sliding the box to her, opening it up and revealing a set of cookies, all decorated with the Yin-Yang on the top as icing. “From the same bakery. Mr. Wheeler says hello to you both.” 
The children were so excited to see their favorite desserts. Both were so eager they were about to reach for them, but the mother shark had other ideas. Her paw went to the top of both of their heads, and she leaned in closer. “Not til you’re done with dinner.”
“R-right!” Mavy straightened up, as did his younger sister. 
“So, hear that Mavy has something to tell us about his day?” Cosmo asked, taking his seat beside his son, looking at the boy now.
	“Yeah. Stopped a robbery at the arcade today. It was so cool!” He began to recount the tale of the day. He did his best not to embellish, but still added his usual flair to the story. 
	“Well, well, you guys really do kick a lot of ass together, eh? Reminds me of us when we were young. Unstoppable squad!” Paka cheered him on. “Heh, and managed to do it in a way that nobody got seriously hurt, too? I’m impressed.”
	“Well, Terry got his leg cut a little bit but it wasn’t very deep.” Mavy chimed in.
	“They’re so COOL though!” Rika piped up again. “I wish I was there, I woulda given him a kick that sent him all the way to the moon!” Maverick winced at the idea, knowing that she was fully capable of sending him up into the lingerie store just above the arcade where the crime took place. 
	“Heh, and of course that bat, such a nice man. Actually went for helping the guy instead of carting him off. That’s very noble of him. You have to admire that kind of care for your fellow person. I think he’s a prime example of the kind of people we should all strive to beco-”
	His voice was summarily drowned out by the sound of both his and Naupaka’s phones buzzing at the same time. They both picked up, checking out the emergency broadcast. “It’s TaVern. Looks like something’s going down…” The shark commented. “Damn, we gotta get there fast. Looks like we’ll have to enjoy dinner when we get back. Kids, wash up, you got school in the morning. We’ll be back.” 
	Cosmo tapped his phone, then held the phone to his ear. “Sir? Is everything alright?” 
	“I told you about calling me sir. Shen, or Mr. Li, anything but ‘sir’, it’s too annoyingly formal. Anyways…there’s some trouble. The laboratory on-”
“IS THAT SENSEI! SENSEIIII HIIII!” The young poodle piped up, again, practically standing on her chair, always happy to hear the panda’s voice even from a distance.
“Heh, always excited, that one.” The panda laughed off the interruption. “Anyways, the mission will be marked in your apps. Be there as quickly as you can. Try not to make a mess. It’s a retrieval mission of a crucial mechanical part. Teleporter core. Get it back, no damage. Got it.” The thick voice rang through, direct and to the point as it could be. 
“Understood. Paka and I should have it back within the next hour or so. We’re getting ready to go now. Thanks.”
	“Thank you! I look forward to hearing of your success.” The panda affirmed, before disconnecting the call.
“So as I said. This’ll be a mission for the two of us. Sorry kiddos, you guys really need to stay back.” Paka said, rising fully from her seat now. 
	“Tch, not a chance!” Maverick stood up from his seat. “I’m coming with. No way am I gonna miss out on taking two wins in a day.” Before any protests could be levied, the fox was already gone and has dashed up the stairs once again, practically flying. The parental duo then looked over to the poodle pup, who was just giving the puppiest-eye’d stare she could muster at the two. 
	They then looked at each other, sighing out and shaking their heads. “Let’s get dressed, Rika.” Paka said, taking her little girl’s hand. “...Looks like we’re all in this one together. 
	A few short minutes later, the quad was in the garage, waiting beside the rather high-tech looking sports car. Jet black with a gold, somewhat glowing trim to it. Subtle is not what one would call this custom powerhouse. The parents, of course, took the front seat, Maverick and Rika taking the back. “Strap in. Sit back, and we’ll brief you both on what’s going down.” The door opened, and the car pulled out, rushing off to the mission destination.