Chapter eleven: downtime.

"even if you've got the fate of the world on your shoulders, a little break can be beneficial.
and if you don't have something like that on your shoulders, a little time to yourself is still good..."

"...but forget not that danger exists even during peaceful times."

-emperorwolf and Neowolf.

kevin boiled the kettle.
it had been a few hours since ian had revealed himself as an angel, but kevin still felt uneasy, he was brewing a pot of coffee to calm himself down, when he felt a tap at his heel, he looked down to see benson smiling up at him.
"hey, kevin."
"hi ben... what's up?"
"besides you?" benson joked
"besides me." kevin laughed
benson turned and leant against his friend's heel "i think that we need to spend the rest of today doing something fun."
kevin looked down for a few more seconds before turning back to the kettle "like what? what'd you have in mind?"
"beach day"
kevin scoffed "that happened when we first met, ben"
"i just feel like, with all the craziness lately, we need a day to ourselves. not having to think about angels, the shattered light, the bank, or anything. just... some relaxing time on the beach" benson explained
kevin chuckled "ya' jus' gonna sleep most'a the time, then?"
"gee, you're nice. i bet you're just itchin' for a run, aren't you?"
kevin sighed, having a good run did sound appealing...
"maybe... but what about angel-boy and everyone else?"
"we'd stay up high, out of trampling range"
"not what i meant, would they agree to taking a day off? like you said before, it's full this time of-"
kevin stopped, and realised what benson was talking about
the little fox nudged his heel "exactly, you couldn't run at the REGULAR beach, could you?"
kevin looked down "what if the let it leak?"
"i don't think they would, i can be VERY convincing."
kevin knelt down "oh, really? it's not like you can shrink THEM whenever you want, though... why haven't you done that since then, anyway?"
the fox shrugged "it's your home, i feel like shrinking you would be a pretty crappy way to thank you for letting me stay. at least, i wouldn't do it to you in your own home."
kevin picked the little fox up "do you think we should tell them?"
benson sat down on kevin's palm "hey, after an angel, i think this'd be pretty easy to take."
"you may have a point" kevin laughed.
benson patted his friend's thumb "i don't know where everyone else is, but i think khyber's upstairs."

kevin ascended the stairs, and sure enough, khyber was sitting on the bedside cupboard, tapping away at his phone.
benson whistled to him, and caught his attention.
"oh, hey."
"what's up?" benson asked, winking at him.
khyber smirked "why, kev' is!"
kevin narrowed his gaze "you're all in on that joke, aren't you?"
khyber laughed "yeah... we talked about puns earlier, one of them was 'what would an alcoholic beverage be called if it was made from me?' " khyber moaned
benson restrained a laugh poorly "we came up with **SNERK** 'khyBEER' " he laughed.
kevin's mouth wrinkled, holding back laughter.
khyber glared "that's NOT funny. besides, i've been researching the name the blue guy mentioned."
the laughter stopped, benson lay flat on his stomach in kevin's paw "you mean 'kenziel' right?"
khyber nodded " i couldn't find much, but i found that-"

"there's nothing a website'll tell you that I couldn't." came a voice from the rafters.
everyone looked up to see ian sitting on the rafters.
benson grunted "well, like that's not creepy..."
khyber looked like he might bolt. "o-oh... hi."
"i've already told you everything important." ian sighed
"did you? ... were you really the Grim Reaper once?" khyber asked, motioning to his phone.
ian slowly glided down, and landed soundlessly opposite khyber on the cupboard, he sighed "yes... but that was millenia ago... long before i became a fallen..." he said sadly, likely remembering those days.

a pair of moans came from the bed- boxes.
"that solves the mystery of the missing girls." benson remarked. "guess we woke them too early"
once the girls were woken, again, everyone sat on kevin's bed while benson pitched his 'beach day' idea to all of them, and kevin returned from downstairs with a cup of coffee.
ian hummed "so... there's a beach nobody else knows about?"
benson nodded.
khyber spoke up "and it's where your grandfather used to live, so nobody goes there?"
"yes."
lily leant her head on benson's shoulder "why not? we're SUPPOSED to be on vacation, after all."
everyone nodded in agreement, and looked at kevin, for approval.
kevin took a sip from his coffee.
"hmmm........" he thought, purposely creating suspense.
"yyyyyyyyeah. alright, we'll do it."
everyone cheered.

*  *  *

minutes later...
it had taken a much shorter time to arrive than last time.
kevin lay on the white sand, arms behind his head, legs crossed, dangling a paw in the air, lily and benson lay on his chest.
khyber, perched upon kevin's toe, stretched "you're right, this place is nice and peaceful."
benson laughed "where? the beach, or kevin's toes?" he joked.
kevin chuckled, jostling the duo around on his chest a little.
khyber flailed, flustered "TH- the beach!"
lily laughed "good one, benny!"
khyber froze, expecting benson to react, as he always had.
benson just lay there.
"what? you okay with that name now, ben?"
benson huffed "only lil can say it. you try it, and i'll knock you out." he said happily.
khyber sighed "where's amelia and ian?"
"look up"
he looked up and saw ian flying slowly around overhead, amelia in his arms, holding onto him in an embrace.
"i think she likes him..." khyber remarked.
lily sat up "why would you say that?" she asked inquisitively.
"she hits him, but ever notice she'll never let ANYONE ELSE do it?"
lily considered it "that's true... maybe the whole 'angel' thing cast him in a new light?"
benson stretched "she DID call his wings 'magnificent' earlier." he yawned.
a low droning rumbled out from behind them, benson turned to see kevin had fallen asleep.
he smirked "everyone get off, i've got an idea..."

soon, benson was manipulating the sand to bury kevin up to his neck, he put mounds in certain places.
"how are you DOING that?" khyber asked
"all i'm doing is 'constructing' without changing the molecular level... okay done."
above. ian and amelia laughed, amelia took a birds-eye-view picture on her phone and sent it to lily.
the trio on the ground had to restrain their laughter.
benson had performed the tried-and-true mermaid thing.
"okay, we'd better hide, just to see how he reacts"
lily beamed "like a super-hide and hunt?"
kevin began to stir, so everybody hid.

*  *  * **  *  *  *

kevin yawned, he must have dosed off.
he tried to stretch, but found that he couldn't.
"what the..."
he lifted his head to see himself buried to the neck.
the sand was shaped interestingly... almost like a...
his eyes snapped open. fish tail. breasts. that was all he needed to see to know he been mermaid-ed.
"why you *LITTLE*-!"
he threw the sand off, scanning the landscapes for their tiny forms "where the hell're you all hiding?"
he sniffed the air, and caught ian's scent "i know y'r on top of the cliff, wing-boy!"
ian leant over the edge, along with amelia.
"i am, but I didn't mermaid you."
kevin looked around again, this time listening, and he heard faint breathing beneath where he'd placed his backpack.
he lifted it to find khyber, and growled angrily
"e-easy! i didn't do it!" he cried out.
kevin nodded, and picked him up, holding him captive in his open paw as he searched.
he couldn't find lily or benson... then he heard a faint voice calling out from... beneath him?"
no, not beneath him... in his pocket!
he opened it and saw benson and lily beaming up at him.
"you buried yourselves?" he said slyly
"i kept it out of where we were." the little fox answered.
kevin glared, benson wasn't sure he'd taken the joke too well.
"uhh... kevin? it was just a joke...okay?"
the giant german shepherd bared his teeth, and growled.
"k-kevin, buddy? l-lets not take things too far..." he pleaded nervously.
lily whimpered and hugged him tighter.
but then the vicious look turned to a smile.
"you little..."
khyber cautiously raised a paw in suggestion "would 'sly fox' be too cliche?"
benson flashed a nervous smile.
kevin chuckled "just couldn't help y'self, could ya?" he asked benson jokingly.
amelia and ian floated down from the clifftop.
kevin fished his free hand into the pocket and withdrew the fox and the cat.
benson looked at his friend seriously "kevin.... i think we should show them..."
kevin sighed, and placed his friends on the ground.
"alright, ben.... go for it."
everyone watched confused, as benson cleared his throat "tsahg nivek EcudeRrepus"
in the blink of an eye, kevin stood level with them.
khyber fainted.
benson shook his head "not again.... seriously? someone splash some water on him."
lily did.
khyber spluttered, and sat up, looking back at the no longer giant-german shepherd.
"h-how.... the hell?"
kevin explained, the imprint, benson's technomagic, everything.
ian nodded "hmm, okay... i guess mortals are similar to an organic machine... the incantations are just commands to the imprint."
lily smiled, hugging benson "ha ha, that's cool."
amelia frowned " your clothing isn't going to rexpand with you, is it?" she moaned.
benson raised a paw "NOITAIRAV OEN, lleps tsal taht odnu"
kevin returned to full size "when ben uses that one, they do."
everyone laughed.
but then kevin froze.
a huge, metalic crash rang out from nearby... followed by a scream and a sickening meaty smack.
everyone else had heard the crash, as well.
kevin gathered up khyber, benson, and lily, while ian flew himself and amelia to the source.

at the forested area at the end of the beach, a horrible scene played out
a familiar-looking leopard was sprawled out on the ground, his head against a tree, split open, and bleeding profusely.
his eyes were closed.
his chest did not rise or fall.
a commotion on his chest alerted them to the little otter crying out in fear.
it was carl and syrus.
"CARL! come on, come on, don't do this to me! come on, stay with me!" he panicked "WHAT DO I DO, WHAT DO I DO?!"
kevin ran over, his booming footfalls alerting the otter to their presence. "i-it's you guys... PLEASE, you have to help carl!"
ian looked carl over, and could tell that he was dead.
but he moved over, keeping his wings folded away.
"let me help."
the terrified otter glared at him "what the hell can you possibly do?! he's not even breathing!"
ian just gave him a reassuring look, climbed up onto carl, and knelt on his chest, palms flat on it.
"i'm going to help him." ian smiled, and he began to glow.
a strangled yelp rang out through the air, but it's source was unknown.
"easy there, big guy, i've got you..."

*s-sy...rus?* came the voice.
"he's right here... he hasn't left you, you're not gonna leave him out here, are you?"
syrus whimpered "what... what is that voice...?"
ian smiled "d'you hear that? he's worried about you."

*sy-rus... where...?*

ian turned to the frightened otter "try talking to your friend"
syrus walked over hesitantly "wh-what do i do?"
"put your paws over my hands... and try talking to him."
syrus did as he was asked, and he began to glow as well.
"c-carl? can you hear me? ... please don't go yet..."

*sy...rus.... is... that you...?*

syrus cringed "carl, please don't leave me..." he wept
the bleeding on carl's head stopped.
his chest began to rise and fall
ian smiled "that's it big guy, come on... we're all waiting for you..."
carl opened his eyes "sy....rus..." he moaned
ian nodded to the otter.
syrus climbed atop carl's muzzle "i-i'm here."
"are ...you okay...?" he asked weakly
syrus nodded "no thanks to you..."
carl smiled weakly "i couldn't....let you get...hurt."
"yeah, well you nearly DIED!" syrus shouted angrily
carl weakly patted his friend on the head "...but... i did... sy, i did..."
the otter objected "but- but you're not-!"
ian stood "he came back because of you. sure, i did most of it, but he wouldn't have come back if it wasn't for you."
carl grimaced "what are...you?"
"another time, right now you'll still need medical attention." and he whipped out his phone and dialled the emergency line "hello? i've got a Giki leopard here, male, roughly 15-18 years in age, he's fallen and split his head open. i've stopped the immediate issue, but he still needs medical attention... right, thankyou, i'll leave my phone on 'tracker' so you can find us."

an hour later, they sat in carl's hospital room, he had an apparatus set up to help him breathe, and he was doing so, normally. his head had bandages wrapped around his wound.
he was sleeping.
syrus paced nervously atop the bedside table.
kevin set benson down next to him.
"hey, syrus, was it? don't worry. he'll be fine."
benson placed a paw on the otter's shoulder
"thanks.... we made a delivery to you guys this morning, didn't we?" he smiled
the fox nodded "maybe we'll order from you guys again, once all this is over?"
"i'd like that." he looked at the sleeping leopard "i bet carl would, too."
ian walked over "what exactly's your relationship?" he asked, motioning to carl.
syrus blushed and smiled, fidgeting "more than friends..." he said nervously.
ian smiled "i wont judge."
syrus sighed in relief "thanks... most people object to it."
kevin chuckled "you're both gay?" he asked straight out.
syrus nodded slowly.
"good for you. it's seems a little wierd to most people to be attracted to someone of a different size AND the SAME gender, but that's YOUR choice, nobody else's."
syrus chuckled "you are..." he pointed at kevin "...but you're not?" he pointed at benson.
the fox laughed "yeah, that's right."
kevin placed lily next to the fox.
"he's with me~" she said, hugging him.
syrus stood "i see, you're a lucky group. all six of you."
"eight, you mean! " ian said, bumping the otter's shoulder.
"eight?"
"i think we're friends now... am i wrong?" ian asked.
syrus shook his head. "you're right..."

"yes, they are." came a voice from the bed.
everyone turned to see the leopard awake and happy.
"hey, you're supposed to be sleeping!" syrus remarked
"i woke up 'round about 'more than friends' "
"you were FAKING!?"
the leopard laughed beneath the O2 mask. "when'll i get out?"
kevin looked at him "tomorrow, the wound's already closed, and you're fine, but they wanted you to stay tonight, in case you've got a concussion." kevin explained.
"i see"

a radio intercom cracked to life "visiting hours are now over."
benson slapped syrus on the shoulder "i bet they won't notice you if you hide." he suggested "then you can stay with him."
kevin gathered up his friends and left, leaving syrus with carl.
"smart fox" the otter remarked, before jumping onto the bed, and diving under carl's neck.
"you okay with this?."
carl chuckled "definitely."
and the lights went off.
"sleep well, carl."
carl yawned "you ... too."

outside, a little White wolf sat in a tree, looking through the window.
he wore a black eyemask, and wore black stealth gear. a katana hung sheathed from his belt, and a handgun holstered on his opposite thigh.
"if things are going to be peaceful in this world, i have to stop draco."
he leapt from the tree with unreal agility, landing in the brances of the next tree over.

eventually, he reached another tree where a brown wolf sat, he wore nobleman's clothing with a red vest.
he landed next to him "sir, it's happening differently than expected"
"how so?" the noble looking wolf asked
"the target has yet to awaken, it's as if he's been sealed."
the noble wolf stood "it's the angel, he's sealed him." he sighed "i'll speak with him, you go scout out THEM, we need to know what that masked freak's planning."
the white wolf nodded, and leapt away, vanishing.
the noble wolf groaned "well, draco... your move."
and then he dissapeared.


*AUTHOR'S CHALLENGE: can you guess who our mystery wolves are? one may be obvious, but the other is not.
whoever guesses both wolves correctly before the next chapter goes up next week gets to cameo in the story at a later date!*
*here's a clue: they've both been mentioned at the start of previous chapters*
*good luck!*