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Zerrex awoke feeling anxious the next morning, emerald eyes staring at the ceiling of his room... and strangely lonely, as well. But then, as he sat up in bed and tossed his covers aside, he couldn't help but give a bit of a faint smile. He'd gotten too used to living with two special females, that was all... and he had to admit that he missed both Cherry and Cindy terribly.

Cherry will be back tomorrow... and I'll get Cindy back in two days time, the reptile thought firmly to himself, then he slid out of bed and stretched, idly rubbing at his pants-clad legs before heading out to the living room. Tinny was stretched out on the couch under a light blanket, snoring with his ridiculous sleep-hat covering his eyes, and Zerrex repressed a bit of a smile before continuing through to the kitchen, flicking on the light and idly checking the time on a clock before starting on making coffee. He knew that Tinman would likely wake up soon... the badger never slept much past eight, and it was already quarter to. Zerrex had overslept himself... he'd meant to wake up early and sneak in some target practice outside.

The sleep, however, had done him good. His body ached a fair amount, and he was definitely sore... but as he rubbed his hands over his naked chest, feeling the deep grooves where the wires had bitten through his scales, he smiled a bit. Much of the damage had already healed... and, as he gingerly touched his cut cheek, he winced a bit but otherwise found himself feeling fairly pleased. It was still a fair wound... and likely he'd get it bleeding again over the course of the day... but he thought it would take more than just his usual dour expressions to irritate it, which made him feel pleased. Sure, he healed unnaturally fast, but regeneration was a bit different than his endurance... sometimes it happened faster than usual, and sometimes his body took its sweet, miserly time. Apparently, the physical had decided to cooperate with his soul and mind's request to heal fast so he could be in tip-top shape for the battle with Requiem, though, so he thought that was good news.

Ten minutes later found him glancing over his shoulder from watching the coffeepot, as Tinman wandered in and rubbed at his eyes blearily, yawning. The badger blinked at the sight of Zerrex, then he reached up and squeezed an ear lightly, wincing at the wounds that crisscrossed the reptile's body: although he was healing, the act of regeneration itself was causing the damage he'd sustained to stand out all the more. "I'm um. Really sorry if those still hurt, Boss..."

"Nah, you did good, Tinny..." Zerrex replied with a soft laugh, then he tilted his head and asked: "And what about you? Got enough energy back to use your powers or still need to rest a while?"

The badger looked down thoughtfully, then he tossed a glance at the counter. Immediately, the silverware that he'd decided to leave to soak overnight after supper slowly rose up, revolving on the spot before dropping gently back into the murky waters, and he turned back to the reptile with a smile. "Not totally back, but I have enough juice to at least do some molding or throw around some pretty heavy objects. I should probably use my abilities every now and then, too... sorta like walking it off, keeping my mental muscles stretched and supple."

"I get that, sure." Zerrex laughed quietly and nodded, then he paused, reaching up to rub his head a bit as the coffeemaker gurgled in the silence that followed. Then he stepped backwards, into the corner as Tinman approached with a yawn and used his abilities to open the cupboards, reaching up and taking down two mugs. As he began to pour coffee for them both - Zerrex leaning awkwardly nearby - the reptile finally said hesitantly: "You know... I really don't want to overload you or myself, after thinking about last night's training and the fact I'm still kinda beat up. And that article in the paper's also been in my mind... so... I was thinking that we could take a trip into town, if you wanted, and go to your shop. You could do what you wanted there, get the rest of your energy back and work on some molding and restocking your combat belt, and I can do some light mental training and intimidate people."

The lizard coughed, feeling lame... but Tinny beamed up at him warmly and nodded firmly, looking enthralled by the idea as he grabbed the salt shaker and poured a good helping of said condiment into his coffee; Zerrex stared at this, as the badger said happily: "That would be wonderful, Boss! I haven't even gotten to show you my new designs yet, and I could keep the shop open all morning... I bet the kids are wondering where I am... it'll be good for us both, really."

"Tinny-" Zerrex started, raising a hand, but the badger had already raised the mug to his smiling face and took a deep sip: a moment later, he gagged violently and leaned forwards, eyes bulging and spitting hot, salty coffee onto the Drakkaren, who let out a loud curse and swept rapidly at his chest, face contorting in surprised pain. "Goddammit!"

Tinman was still coughing, tongue hanging out of his muzzle and leaning heavily against the counter, coffee spilled down the front of his naked, scrawny chest and all over the floor. Then he staggered to the sink, tracking the muddy liquid across the kitchen as he leaned over and spat several times into the murky water, as Zerrex staggered to the stove and snatched a towel up to wipe the burning liquid off his body, muttering under his breath and then tossing a glare over his shoulder at the badger. "Dude!"

"Dude yourself." Tinny rasped, leaning heavily on the counter and coughing a few times before he returned the glare with his own sour look. "If you'd warned me, then there wouldn't be coffee all over you."

"Coffee and salt." Zerrex corrected, crossing his arms and looking irritably at the badger, but he already felt his aggravation disappearing. "I have open wounds on my body. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

"No." Tinman replied truthfully, then he spat into the water again before straightening and mumbling, rubbing at his stomach lightly and adding daringly: "But since you made the coffee, it was probably that just as much as the salt that makes me want to puke."

Zerrex blinked at this added insult, then he opened his mouth before closing it as Tinny smiled somewhat uneasily. Finally, the Drakkaren snorted and rolled his eyes, waving a hand and muttering: "Just clean up the damn coffee..." before he left... but he couldn't help a grin nonetheless at the fact that the badger was obviously getting more comfortable around him, and Tinny smiled at the reptile's back, letting out a sigh of relief at the fact he hadn't been turned into a splatter on the floor next to the coffee.

After an hour or so - which included Tinny remaking the coffee and Zerrex grudgingly admitting it was better than his - the two climbed into Tinman's car, Zerrex shifting uncomfortably back and forth, clad in a long-sleeve dress shirt that made him feel itchy. The badger had pointed out that it wouldn't exactly be good if he was seen with a bunch of holes in him after the recent babble in the paper about the uprising... and then he had insisted on fixing the reptile's collar for him, Zerrex wincing and feeling like a child as he sighed and allowed the smaller male to button up the top few buttons of his shirt and properly straighten out the high collar. Next he'll be giving me a tie, and telling me that I'm to be home before midnight from the prom and not to do anything that I'll regret later with Cherry, he thought morbidly, crossing his arms and sitting back in the passenger seat and doing his best to ignore the badger.

Then Tinman had turned his attention to driving, clicking on the radio and humming along with some easy listening music that made Zerrex shudder a bit, looking out the passenger window and feeling horribly cramped as the badger drove idly into town, crossing the bridge and then smiling as they approached the inviting, open metal gates that he never bothered to close and turning down the small drive to his home.

The house was actually fairly small and comfy: a one-floor flat. Next to it, however, was a fairly large workshop that Tinman owned and sold his fancy little novelty items from. The lawn was wide and formed a sort of park, dotted here and there with old-fashioned metal lamps, profiles of animals made out of metal piping and plate, and a few wooden picnic benches, the entire area guarded by tall, heavy iron fencing laced with metal ivy and tipped with gothic spikes. Once this whole area had been an enormous mansion... but Tinny had seen the possibility for something else in here and had torn the entire thing down, replacing it with his shack-sized, four-room home and the warehouse-shaped, tall workshop that was composed of all of two rooms itself: a massive, high-ceilinged showroom where Tinman kept his more prized creations and the various trinkets and metal decorations he made and sold, and the actual workshop where he did the work.

When he pulled up to the house, Zerrex was surprised to hear yells and shouts, at first tensing up... but then Tinny laughed and smiled warmly at the reptile before climbing out of the car, throwing his arms wide as the huge reptile carefully got out on the other side, staying a bit stooped as he watched what looked almost like a flood of children running towards the badger. The nearest was a little girl in a pink dress, and Tinman reached down and swept her up, spinning in a circle and making her squeal in delight as he laughed. "Mister Tinny!"

The badger smiled warmly, easily shifting her to cradle in one arm: Zerrex reflected that all those years ago, when they had first been introduced to each other, Tinman probably wouldn't have even been able to pick the girl up. But now there he was, holding her as easily as a feather as he looked around at the others and said happily: "Well, what are you all doing here, guys? It's such a pleasant surprise to see you all though... and so early in the morning!"

"We've been waiting for you, Mr. Tinny." piped up one of the other kids, and they all nodded fervently, before a few of them stared past the badger and the car as Zerrex straightened. The reptile felt a blush rising in his cheeks as he looked back at the kids, and Tinny glanced over his shoulder before laughing a bit and turning his attention back to the others, waving a hand as the girl in his arms looked at him with wide eyes and popped her thumb in her mouth.

"Oh, hey guys, don't be rude, now." he chided in a friendly tone, then he beckoned rapidly for Zerrex to walk around the car, and the reptile winced a bit before hesitantly moving around the car and standing with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the kids: to them, he was a titan, and to him, they looked like thin, awestruck dwarves. He coughed a bit, reaching up to brush his hair back as Tinman said warmly: "This is Mr. Zerrex. He seems like a big scary guy, but in reality he's a very nice person."

The Drakkaren blinked a bit at this, but then he merely shrugged and decided it would probably be best to go along with this for now. "Uh... yeah." He paused, then blinked as Tinman laughed and nodded, reaching up to give him a firm slap on the arm. The reptile rubbed this automatically, glancing back and forth before watching as Tinny gently set down the young panther girl and smiled at her, reaching a hand down to lightly ruffle her headfur.

Then he opened his arms wide and made a gesture towards the large warehouse with one hand, quickly changing the subject cheerfully: "So who wants to go and watch the magic in the workshop, huh?"

At this, there was a collective yell of affirmation from the children, and they danced around the badger as he laughed and smiled, then pocked his keys and glanced over his shoulder at the Drakkaren, softening a bit and calling: "Come on, Zerrex. It'll be fun. Besides, you did promise to come in and see my shop!"

The reptile was fairly sure he hadn't promised this, as he looked around at the open, grassy field he knew he could use for some fair shadowboxing and muscle-memory training... but then all the kids were looking at him too, a few of them even calling out their agreement at Tinny. At the sight of all those wide and pleading eyes, the Drakkaren felt his resolve crumbling and he sighed before nodding, rubbing a hand slowly through his hair as he mumbled: "Well... I guess it couldn't hurt..."

"Then it's settled!" Tinny positively beamed, then he turned and rose a hand, pointing to the building and calling out: "On to the shop, then!"

Then he began to walk quickly forwards as the children yelled and swarmed around him, and Zerrex winced slightly at this before following, keeping his hands in his pockets and feeling a bit put-off, but also admittedly somewhat amused and strangely touched by the way that the kids seemed to almost worship the badger... and of course, how Tinman treated the children, laughing along with them and looking happy and almost exhilarated. But it didn't really surprise him, on the other hand, that the friendly, smiling badger would be good with children...

The reptile walked slowly through the tall grass, his long stride letting him keep just behind the group that was currently flocking towards the front of the store, moving along a path of hand-laid stones now until the badger stopped in front of the plain wooden door. He smiled around at the kids as Zerrex halted behind the group, watching curiously, then Tinman rose a finger and made a quick flicking motion to the side.

There was a faint, muffled grinding, and the reptile had to smile a bit as he looked at the plain door, watching Tinny push it easily open as the kids babbled and all but danced around him. Then he laughed and bowed a bit, waving a hand outwards and motioning easily for the others to head inside. "Go on in, guys. Take a look around the store and I'll be in, in just a moment."

The kids all cheered, making the Drakkaren smile a bit as the badger glanced up at him and questioned him with his eyes. Zerrex nodded slightly in return, then he stood back and waited for the kids to flock past and through the open door. The lizard crossed his arms and tilted his head curiously as Tinny reached up and rubbed the back of his head slowly, then he finally laughed a bit and smiled up at the reptile, blushing slightly. "I've got one project going on that I've been working on hard for a while... it's not done yet but... well... it's in the corner of the room. And I'm sorry about the kids, too, but-"

"Don't be." Zerrex interrupted gently, glancing through the open doorway for a moment and into the store beyond, laughing quietly as he reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "I like kids... I just... you know. A lot of children don't find me so pleasant."

"Oh, they don't mind you at all." the badger said, looking up at the reptile with surprise and making the tall Drakkaren blink a bit. "Sure, a few of them have been told horror stories about you, and some of the others probably got a warning or two from their parents... but... the way they stare at you is the way kids stare at everyone new." He paused, then smiled a bit and reached up to squeeze one of his ears quietly. "They'll take to you well enough. Especially if you, you know, try to actually act a bit more social around them."

"You and Cherry and Cindy can all kiss my ass." Zerrex rolled his eyes and brushed past the smaller male, going into his shop as Tinman laughed and shook his head, then followed him inside with a slight smile. It was true; even Cherry tended to nag Zerrex on his lack of social skills every now and then... usually after she'd had a bottle or two of whisky and wanted to go out to a bar, though, or find some strangers from the sex club downtown to have some fun with.

Then the lizard was glancing around the showroom that comprised the front area of the shop, and he couldn't help but feel admiration for the badger that drowned out his slight irritation, gently testing the hardwood floor beneath his combat boots and crossing his arms as he glanced around the store, laughing a bit and forgetting that he wanted to yell at the badger as he said softly: "Holy crap, Tinny. You've done wonders here."

The showroom was large, but not massive: instead, it was a comfortable, seventy-foot or so long rectangle, and probably just over a third as wide. The ceiling above was high, and ornamented lamps dangled from chains, each hanging light a different, detailed statuette of a feral animal. The closest above was an oriental dragon: Zerrex smiled slightly at the fierce design the badger had done, the way the long body and tail curled around and up the chain to where it hooked into the ceiling, and how he'd installed the light into the gaping, open jaws of the great beast. Even the teeth of the dragon had been detailed, from what Zerrex could see... and again, he found himself admiring how far the badger had come over the years with his talents.

The Drakkaren brought his gaze from the wonderful lamps above - set in rows of two, and the reptile noted with irony that Tinny had paired a wolf statue-lamp with the dragon, but likely not on conscious purpose - and back down to the floor of the showroom, gazing around with a soft laugh. Most of the metal models and statues stood on free display, some with plain - in many cases messy - handmade price tags dangling from them by pieces of string. And every so often was a hook on a wall that held up a metal sign or frame that the badger had made, or a shelf that was full of small but ornate wonders... and Zerrex thought it was truly magnificent, how much that Tinman had done.

He walked deeper into the showroom, towards the counter down at the other end of the showroom, then paused in what was more of a shop area, smiling slightly as he stepped onto a purple, soft carpet and glanced at a pair of free-standing shelves. These were filled with a variety of Tinny's favorite small crafts: birds, insects and tiny metal dragons. There was a menu hanging from a hook on the shelf, and the reptile picked this up, glancing over it before looking at the badger with faint amusement as he walked forwards, looking embarrassed but also happy as the children swarmed around him. "Sure these prices are good, Tinman?"

"Oh, are they too expensive?" The badger blinked, tilting his head curiously. "I try to keep them fair for the kids..."

The reptile looked at Tinman with entertainment, dropping the list of prices and then picking up one of the metal dragons: it was crafted out of steel, with every individual scale perfectly molded and even the small teeth and eyes detailed and designed perfectly, the four legs of the classical beast-dragon opposable and even the membrane of the wings made with steel wire and light metal plating that was able to fold up so that the wings could furl and unfurl neatly.

He glanced over this, then held it at eye level with the badger and tilted his head, saying mildly: "Ten bucks for this? Tinman, that's less than a tenth of the price for the work alone you put into this."

"Yeah, but I love my work..." the badger held up a hand, smiling, and the dragon stirred in the reptile's hand before straightening and standing up, long neck curling back and forth before it spread its wings and flapped them once... twice... then jumped up and flew into the air, to the delighted cries of the children. It flew around the group of kids in a slow circle as Tinman made a gentle rotating motion, then finally hovered in front of one of the children, making him stare before holding his hands up... and it lightly settled into his outstretched palms, turning to look at Tinny with shining eyes.

Zerrex smiled at this, features softening, then he nodded and glanced at the other shelves set up along the wall of this section of the store, these set with more mundane but still decorative items like candleholders and paperweights and letter openers... and from the price list, they too were all far cheaper than the badger could have easily asked for. After all, the handmade items were all amazingly detailed and intricate, most of the time made from only a single sheet of thin, malleable metal that was further enhanced by the badger's own odd power.

Then Tinman glanced around at the children, his smile stretching wider as he asked: "So, who wants to come back into the workshop and see what I can make today, huh? I think there's still a few people who have yet to get their own special little toy, after all... and I just might have the time this morning to make a little something up for everyone who hasn't gotten one yet."

This was greeted by cheerful yells from the kids, and then they all flocked through the metal door behind the island counter as it swung open. Tinman followed in their wake, and Zerrex paused to take one last look around the grand showroom hall before stepping into the quaint, odd workshop.

This room was much smaller and cozier... the Drakkaren's head almost brushed the ceiling above, and it didn't look much bigger than his living room back home. It was neat and tidy, with a single worktable made of pine sitting in the center of the room that had a metal valve on one side of the table that would allow the tabletop to rise higher from its usual position locked into the body of the furnishing, if so desired. The table itself was actually hollow, with the top board solid pine and a metal box inside that contained all variety of screws, nails, bolts, and all other manner of paraphernalia. Things that the badger rarely used, but liked to have available; generally all he needed was sitting in a series of wide shelves that stretched up to the ceiling and filled an entire wall.

Inside these shelving units were sheets of metal: most of them thin, lightweight and flexible steel that had been specially treated to enhance their malleability, but along the top the badger also kept heavy carbon steel plates and even a few sealed vials of mercury. These were the real tools of his trade, after all... the few tools hanging off nails that had been pounded into one of the wooden walls were more for show or the rare time Tinny came across a metal too hard for even him to bend and shape to his will.

The children had already flocked around the table, though, all of them staring and giggling... and Zerrex wandered forwards before pausing as he saw that the small girl who Tinman had swept up earlier was stuck near the back, and she was trying vainly to stand on her tiptoes to stare over the other, taller children. Without even thinking, the Drakkaren reached down and gently scooped her up, cradling her in the nook of his arm and offering a hesitant smile as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

A moment later, she smiled back... and then turned her attention to Tinny, as the badger gave Zerrex a warm look before taking his position at the table, looking back and forth at the kids clustered around himself as he rose a hand and caused one of the smaller sheets of metal to float up from a lower row of shelves and over to the table, settling on it as Tinman rubbed at his chin with one hand and grabbed his elbow with the other, taking on an exaggerated thinking pose as he asked in a thoughtful voice: "Now... who hasn't gotten something made for them yet?"

Immediately, three of the kids rose their hands, including the girl that Zerrex was holding, and the badger laughed softly and nodded, reaching his arms out and making a smooth brushing motion with his hands, causing the metal laying on the tabletop to shudder: the children made sounds of wonder and delight at this, and Zerrex smiled slightly himself. Unlike the kids, though, he recognized the gesture as Tinny looked at the metal sheet with eyes full of concentration: the badger was getting ready to mold, and that meant he had to weaken the metal temporarily to make it easier to twist and bend into shape. Weakened metal also meant he'd be able to etch designs into the metal if he wanted, by forcing it to split and heat up in certain areas... it wasn't something Zerrex could say he really understood, but he'd read all the psych evaluations on the badger when he was in the Goth Legion and had also talked to him about his abilities many times himself.

Then the badger relaxed a bit and beamed happily around at the children once more, asking in a gentle voice: "Now... who's first, huh? How about you, Miranda? What would you like?"

The panther girl shifted back and forth in Zerrex's arm, blushing and smiling across at Tinny as the other kids turned to look at her with both curiosity at her answer and awe at the fact she was currently being held up by the giant reptile they had all just met. Then, a few moments later, she finally answered in a light, shy voice: "A unicorn."

"Okay. A unicorn sounds great." Tinman responded with a smile in return, then he turned his attention back to the sheet of metal in front of him. He waved his hands over it slowly in an exaggerated gesture that made Zerrex feel quiet entertainment and strangely touched: it was a movement that the badger didn't really need to do, but it made the kids look on in wonder, and the reptile figured there would be quite a show from the usually-quiet male just so the kids could have some extra entertainment.

The Drakkaren too found himself soon enraptured by Tinman's movements and the responses of the metal, however: he had never before had the time or been invited to watch Tinman work, and now actually seeing it was somewhat marvelous. The badger would make a slow, gentle curving motion with his hand, and the metal would bend and curve in the same way... or he'd extend a finger and make a gentle pattern against the metal, and when he drew his hand back, there would be a smooth, shallow etch left. And although he worked using his power and no other tools... there was definitely more skill and practice to the work and art of the badger then there was natural talent.

A look of concentration came over the Tinman's features as he slowly brought his hands together, fingers curled towards each other... and the sheet of metal shuddered as it slowly curved and rose up, a strange bulge forming in it and rising upwards. Then Tinny made a quick flicking motion as he rose one hand upwards, and a large chunk of metal that the small male had etched earlier suddenly tore free from the sheet and popped upwards.

The children gasped at this, then Tinman reached out and closed his fist gently over the leaf-shaped piece of metal that had ripped free, and Zerrex saw it shifting as well under his hand before it was covered by it, like the petals of a flower blossom closing at night. Faint light shone out from the badger's hand for a brief moment, and then Tinny removed his hands with a smile, and the children all let out whispers of amazement at the perfectly-shaped horse's head.

It continued on like this, the badger molding out the body next with his powers, but leaving that attached into the warped sheet of steel as he did the tail next... it went much the same as the head, except after Tinny drew his hand back from the formed and etched tail, he closed it into a tight fist, concentrating. Then he suddenly snapped his fingers open, palm facing towards the tail, and the tail itself responded with the same gesture, the metal separating into what looked like hundreds of steel strings and making the children gasp. Then Tinny slowly closed his hand as he revolved his wrist, and the metal strings twisted together and reformed a lanky horse's tail... except now looking far more realistic.

The legs seemed the simplest... Tinny forced the statue to rise up a bit higher, then he patted a hand against the table, and the metal beneath the body collapsed, except for four stiff, straight bent pieces of steel where the limbs should be. Tinman worked quickly at this point, patting the middle of the leg to make a joint and cause the knees to pop out, and then forcing the metal lines to become cylindrical and seal tight together. Then he finally made a quick rising motion again, and the horse tore free from the metal plating to the cheers of the kids and a smile from Zerrex.

"Almost done." He said softly, then he reached out and places his fingertips gently against the metal sheeting: when he pulled them away, he left five neat holes behind, circles of metal remaining stuck to his thumbs by the badger's own strange magic. Then he looked at each of these in turn, deep concentration in his eyes as four of them turned into miniature hooves... and then the final piece on his thumb rolled into a cone that then twisted violently as a small line of heat spun through it, leaving a tiny, segmented horn behind.

Tinny attached the hooves first, easily picking up the horse from where it was standing on the ground and simply pushing hoof to leg: every time, there was a small burst of sound and a spark as the hoof was firmly welded to the leg, and then finally he was left with only the horn. Tinman smiled across at Miranda, who was sucking on her thumb again but had her other arm wrapped tight around the reptile's own muscular limb, and then he gently pushed the horn against the horse's forehead and there was a final faint spark.

He placed the unicorn on the table... then smiled as he made it shake its head, the mane of blunted but loose steel shaking back and forth like hair before the small metal beast trotted across the wooden surface... and Zerrex extended a hand, keeping his palm face up and allowing the miniature metal beast to step up onto it. He lifted the unicorn to Miranda, who had her tiny hands outstretched and her eyes shining... and then the small metal equine leapt from the reptile's palm and into her arms, looking up at her before slowly returning to a statue once more, and the little girl smiled happily across at Tinny as she cried: "Thank you, Mr. Tinman! Oh, thank you!"

"It's my pleasure, Miranda..." Tinny said softly, and he smiled in return, looking happily around the room before clapping his hands together firmly and saying - to the reptile's surprise - "Who's next?"

Zerrex watched Tinman work, enjoyed the fervor, tirelessly energy he seemed to give off... and gently cradled the small child against his body as she clutched her unicorn against her chest and rested against the powerful male. The Drakkaren found himself feeling both amazed and proud of what the badger had done with his life, of how the children flocked happily around him... reflecting how back in the Goth Legion, he'd often done nothing but reprimand and beat on the poor, scrawny male. Military life was definitely not cut out for him... but this new life he'd found, this certainly was. And the reptile was happy for him... and almost a bit jealous of how well that Tinman was doing with his new life. But reflecting on his past, and the things he could have changed... he realized he'd made his own life one long struggle and likely doomed himself to a cruel death. It didn't bother him though, as he gazed quietly at the badger... he knew there had to be a balance in life. And perhaps if he enjoyed his life as best he could and suffered through the hardships he knew lay ahead... all the Tinmen in the world wouldn't have to go through any more pain than they had in their pasts, and could be content to live out their lives in the near-mythical "happily-ever-after."

He shook his head quickly as he watched Tinny give a metal bat he'd made to another child, then floated another piece of steel over to himself and started up working again, smiling slightly and thinking idly: I'm getting too philosophical now... I'm going to have to drag him out of here and get him to throw heavy stuff at me or something soon. Or maybe I just need to get back into the meditation stuff Requiem taught me... start learning to keep my mind in check more.

For now, however, he planned to do nothing but watch Tinny work... and within half an hour, the badger had turned out a fair-sized tyrannosaurus model and passed it over to the last child in line. Then the badger had looked up with a smile at Zerrex and asked in a cheerful voice: "And hey, I don't think I've made you anything yet... what would you like, Mr. Zerrex?"

"It's just Zerrex..." the Drakkaren said lamely, blinking in surprise and rubbing the back of his head with his free hand as the other kids all turned their eyes on him, gazing up at him curiously. He coughed a bit, then looked back and forth before returning his gaze to Tinman and mumbling: "Really, you don't need to make me anything..."

"Of course I do! Right, guys?" Tinman leaned down, putting his arms around the two kids closest as he looked back and forth with a smile, and the other children nodded fervently and happily around him. Then the badger looked back up with a slight smile and tossed the reptile a wink. "But see, Zerrex here is a bit of an old coot sometimes. He doesn't like people doing stuff for him or helping him out... but he loves to help other people out. After all, he helped us all, made sure we could attend the same schools and wouldn't be bullied by the mean people from Apple Villa... he's the Boss, and the one who drove away the bad guys."

"You can kiss my... butt." Zerrex retorted, but it was lost in the sounds of admiration and wonder that the kids were making, as they all looked at the badger... then, with unconscious synchronization, all turned to Zerrex. The reptile blinked and stared... then a moment later found himself surrounded by the children as Tinny grinned, watching as the indomitable, tall Drakkaren staggered backwards and looked around at the kids - most of them barely coming up to his waist - with something like horror.

They were all asking questions, babbling, yelling, and the Drakkaren winced as he brought a hand up into his hair before finally clearing his throat loudly, not knowing what to do but at the same time not really wanting to simply kick the kids across the room. Finally, they silenced, and he looked around before tossing Tinman a murderous look and explaining in as calm and gentle a voice as he could manage. "Yes, I'm the Boss... and uh. It's glad to meet all of you, but-"

"He's also a great martial arts master, and totally fearless." Tinman remarked airily, and Zerrex grit his teeth and found himself contemplating if he could pick up the wooden table and drop it on the badger without causing any of the kids to run crying to their parents... which would, of course, result in a hell of a backlash. Then the Drakkaren blinked again, looking shocked as Tinny added cheerfully: "Hey, kids! Why don't you ask Zerrex if he can take you outside and play with you, maybe teach you some of his martial arts skills, while I put everything away and then go get lunch for everyone?"

This was greeted by a loud, happy exclamation before Zerrex felt children tugging at his pants legs and looking up at him with wide eyes, a few of the braver ones yelling things like "Teach me, teach me!" and "Please, I wanna learn real bad!" in varying voices, as Tinny purposefully avoided the Drakkaren's stare and turned his back to fiddle with something on the wall. The reptile glared at him and silently promised to get even later, then he finally sighed, feeling himself relenting under the happy yells of the kids. "Alright... fine. I'll... I'll play with you kids for a little while then, I guess. Let's go outside..."

They immediately all cheered and dashed for the heavy steel door that would lead outside, which Tinny idly glanced at and caused to swing open with his powers before any of them could ram into the door. Zerrex glared at the badger as he followed in the wake of the children, opening his muzzle to utter some deadly promise, and then he felt a stirring against his chest and he glanced down, looking at the panther girl who he hadn't even realized was still cradled against him in one arm.

She flushed deeply, then looked down and squeezed her unicorn tight to her body as Tinny stepped closer, soft concern on his features. Then she fumbled with her words for a bit before looking up into Zerrex's emerald eyes and saying in an embarrassed voice: "I... I don't think I'm big or strong enough, mister..."

Tinny opened his muzzle and began to reach up, but the reptile reached out and easily grabbed his head, making him give a squeak and change to grab Zerrex's wrist as the Drakkaren said in as soft a voice as he could manage: "Well, size and strength doesn't have anything to do with it... you just have to have faith in yourself." A pause, then he let the badger go and asked in a firm voice: "Right, Tinny?"

"Uh... right." Tinman replied meekly, coughing and then opening his muzzle to probably say something unhelpful like how he'd gladly take her or she could play inside... but Zerrex silenced him with a meaningful glare before turning a smile down to the child in his arms and reaching a hand up to tickle lightly under her muzzle.

She smiled a bit in return, then blushed as he headed for the door, saying easily: "Come on. We'll make a great little warrior out of you, yet. Besides, you can stretch and do the first part at least... then, depending on what you want, you can watch the others or join in on what we'll do next."

"Okay, Mr. Zerrex." She said comfortably, and the reptile looked up and smiled a bit as he felt her snuggling against him, clutching her unicorn type. It was an alien feeling for him, a child of so young - or really, anyone but Cindy, for that matter - actually cuddling up to his body... at least, without any sexual connotations to it, or without any fear or prejudices. The reptile enjoyed it... and he felt strange as he approached the knot of children in the field outside, gently putting Miranda down and nodding for her to put down the unicorn with the other toys nearby before heading to the group of kids and clapping his hands together firmly.

The children all immediately looked up, and then Zerrex said in the clear voice of command: "First, I want everyone to sit in a circle, and space yourselves out evenly."

They all did so, including Miranda, the reptile was pleased to see... but they were also staring at him a bit, and Zerrex coughed before realizing he had likely sounded a bit harsh or reprimanding with his military voice. So he softened the edge of command he usually kept in his tone as they shifted uneasily, saying in a voice that he strived to make calmer and gentler, but still keep firm: "Alright. Now everyone, first we're going to go over the basics... the things that I too was taught... first."

The kids responded much better to him now... and he smiled a bit as he rubbed a hand through his hair. Technically, he was lying... the first thing he'd been taught was how to stand back up after you got your ass handed to you, in Narrius's teachings. But once he'd been learning under Requiem, they'd spent many sessions going over relaxation, meditation, and taming the spirit to forge the physical body... until Narrius had caught them, of course, and proceeded to kick both of their asses.

But right now, even thoughts of his past and father didn't bother him, at the sight of all those kids looking at him so wonderingly and expectantly... and Zerrex dropped down to a sitting position while continuing to speak to the class, glancing back and forth and still projecting his voice even behind himself. He had to admit, he'd found a deep love for teaching when he'd started showing Cindy what to do... although he'd also trained her a lot harder than he planned to do with these kids. Furthermore, Cindy had already known discipline, self-control and all those other wonderful assets... but these kids likely wouldn't be so well-developed mentally, and especially not spiritually. "First lesson is this... fighting is often pointless, but sometimes it is necessary."

This bald statement seemed to surprise many of the kids, who apparently expected to hear something far different from the legendary Boss of Comfort Town... someone who their parents likely used as boogeyman of sorts. "But for the most part, we can pick and choose our battles, and we should make sure to avoid conflict whenever possible. Running, negotiating... working something out by talking it over, I mean... and sometimes even giving up can be a much better alternative. And it is not always... I mean, it's not cowardly." They're kids. Remember Zerrex, they're kids. Teach them that it's okay to run before you get into the specifics of when and where. "Sure, we should all fight to protect the things important to us and what we believe in... but we also have to learn that we don't always have to stand up and fight against someone just because they say mean words or do bad things, even though those words and things they do can hurt.

"Uh... so first, I want us to do something called meditation. To clear our minds, push out our anxieties... er... worries and stuff... and basically make ourselves feel as calm as we can." Zerrex nodded firmly as he looked around at the kids, then he smiled. "The best way to do this is to start with a deep breath and close our eyes... and focus on one image in your mind and let everything else just... float away. Just like this."

The reptile demonstrated, straightening his back, putting his hands out to rest on his knees, and taking a deep breath as he let his eyes slip closed and his body relax... then he opened them and looked around at the kids, saying softly: "Now you try. Just relax... and when you hear me clap, then you can all open your eyes. Alright, on the count of three... one... two... three."

Zerrex looked around and saw that everyone had collectively closed their eyes, mimicking what he had done, and the Drakkaren silently stood up and walked carefully to the edge of the circle, slipping quietly between two of the children. He patrolled slowly around the circle of kids, examining the tenseness of their bodies and their faces with his sharp eyes, sizing up their shapes, body types and the way they held themselves, the way they were moving... and finally, after about five minutes, he saw that even the twitchiest of the children had relaxed. He rose his hands, then clapped them firmly, making the two students he was standing behind jump as everyone turned to look at him with surprise.

The reptile smiled slightly at their looks of shock and amazement, then he crossed his arms and said softly: "First off, I want everyone to pair up. Stand by your partner, a bit away from everyone else, and face me to let me know that you've chosen your sparring partner for this session before we start."

Immediately, the kids flocked to each other... and Zerrex smiled as he saw there was an even number. He frowned a bit though at the fact that one of the bigger kids was standing beside an unhappy-looking Miranda with a grin and a mean look in his eyes, and the reptile sized up the situation immediately. Some things never changed, after all... just like in military training. The big, mean asshole who no one else wanted to pair with always got stuck with the weakest, littlest of the bunch... just so he could show off what a 'tough male' he was.

Zerrex, however, thought that there would be a surprise coming up, though... and then he glanced around again before pointing at this group and saying airily: "Well, for demonstration purposes, first I'll have you two come forwards. I'm going to describe what I want you to do... and then you all can try this same basic technique."

The reptile smiled encouragingly as Miranda came forwards apprehensively, and the taller, bulkier cat did the same, strutting and looking around with what could only be called a smirk: probably the expression that the Drakkaren hated to see most of all. It spoke only of arrogance and cruelty, of betrayal and cowardice hidden in a wrapping of stupid boasts and lies and false rage... but the reptile kept his smile. Soon enough, he thought he'd be able to get that expression wiped off the kitten's face permanently.

He motioned for them to part, directing the cat to the far left and Miranda to the far right... and he walked first over to the kitten before kneeling and saying gently in his ear: "You're going to be the aggressor. I want you to grab her shoulders and try to push her down, alright?"

"Sure, no problem!" The feline grinned up at him, his tawny fur almost sparkling in the light and making the reptile feel faintly bemused at the odd sheen of gold and red. Then he turned and headed over to where Miranda was shuffling a foot in the grass, sniffling a bit and staring at the ground.

He kneeled down in front of her, then gently grasped her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. She looked back, and he smiled to her before leaning down to whisper into her ear: "You're going to be the defender... he's going to grab your shoulders and try to push you down. What I want you to do is let him push you down, but bring both your legs up... when you're on your back and he's over you, kick both your feet up into his stomach to knock him off. Then, while he's down, jump on him and sit on him, and grab his wrists. Can you do that?"

"No!" Miranda looked shocked at the idea of this, her teeth chattering in fear. "Mikey is the biggest boy in the whole class... and he's really mean sometimes! I'm not strong enough to-"

"Yes, you are." Zerrex said firmly, meeting her eyes quietly as he drew back and squeezing her shoulders gently. "You know, I... I'll tell you a secret. I've fought someone bigger than me too... and you know what? They beat me up, really badly, once... and took something precious away from me. But I didn't give up... and I kept training myself and working as hard as I could to fight that person..." he stopped and looked down, then glanced back up at the feline's attentive expression, as she trembled a bit. Then he smiled, and said softly: "You can do this, Miranda... you're stronger than you think. Just do what I told you, okay? Let him push you down... and then kick him off and jump back on top of him. You can do this."

"Okay..." the little panther girl swallowed and nodded, but then she managed a smile back to the tall Drakkaren as he stood and walked back towards the middle, motioning for them to come forwards. He stopped, putting his hands behind his back as Mikey grinned fiendishly and Miranda shuffled uncomfortably.

The reptile looked over the class, saying clearly: "First, we're going to demonstrate a very basic technique... it's- hey! Stop!"

Mikey had apparently lost interest in following directions, however... instead, he charged full out towards Miranda, grinning widely as Zerrex snarled and reached a hand down... but a glance towards the pantheress set off another set of instincts, and instead he halted, letting the feline continue his dumb charge towards Miranda, who was wincing but had set herself, her hands raised.

Instead of grabbing her as Zerrex had ordered, Mikey instead threw himself in a long tackle, hitting Miranda high up on her body and knocking her flat as she let out a cry of pain; but at the same time as she rolled back, she brought her legs up and kicked out savagely with both of them. Mikey's eyes bulged as his forwards momentum carried him overtop the smaller feline below him, and the added kick caused his pounce to turn into a half- flip, sending his body twisting awkwardly through the air before he landed flat on his back and bounced twice, as Miranda landed flat on her own back with a wince and a loud sniffle.

She got up, wiping at her eyes and trembling violently... but then she stood awkwardly and stumbled forwards as the other kids whispered. She, however, wasn't the one to start crying... instead, the older and larger feline burst into tears, bawling like a baby as he rolled over and clawed at the ground before jumping up to his feet and running away with his hands over his face. Miranda stared after him blankly, then Zerrex walked over and gently scooped her up, making her flush and smile uncertainly as he nodded to her quietly and whispered in her ear: "It's okay. He's not hurt... he's just embarrassed. You did really, really good, Miranda."

Then the reptile cleared his throat and looked up at the other assembled students, who were all talking and whispering amongst themselves. They all immediately looked up, staring at the lizard... and Zerrex said plainly: "Fighting... hurts people. And often the person who's the most aggressive, and who doesn't follow the rules, is the one who gets hurt most. Even if your opponent is bigger... stronger... and older than you are... you can still win if you keep your cool and do as instructed, just as little Miranda did here today. I want all of you to follow her example... stay calm, and don't give in to your fears. And let what happened to Mikey serve as a lesson to the rest of you; in the end, we all pay for trying to hurt other people unnecessarily."

The kids nodded at these bits of wisdom, and Zerrex got the sense that they actually understood most of what he'd said with what had just happened. He smiled down at Miranda, who squirmed in the crook of his hand and blushed deeply, looking back with a happy smile of her own... and then the Drakkaren brought another group forwards and this time had them do the proper demonstration. He smiled at the fact that he didn't even have to ask the young skunk who'd just thrown his friend down to help him up; he automatically extended a hand, and the puppy on the ground gladly took it and smiled happily as he was helped to his feet. Then they switched, and again there was the respect and politeness that was so missed in so many of the older classes, as Zerrex wandered through the impromptu class with Miranda happily clinging to his arm, watching them throw each other to the ground and then help each other up again and again. The Drakkaren then called out for them to switch partners, and they started again as the reptile looked around at them happily, before frowning as he heard a loud, angry yell.

Mikey was back... and this time he'd brought what looked like his brothers. One of them wore some high school jacket with a letter on it, and the other one just had a tank-top on, showing off his muscular arms. This feline also wore a pair of ripped jeans, biker boots, and one of those stupid wool caps that were getting so popular these days... but as the red-furred feline drew closer, Zerrex recognized that the other brother was slightly taller, but otherwise his twin right down to the clothing... except that he had the jacket and also lacked the green toque.

"Hey, my young brother here says he just got beaten up by some of the kids here, and I want to know what's going on." said the feline in the jacket firmly, glaring around at the kids and making them all back off as Zerrex gently put Miranda down, then rose to his full height: this made both of the cats back off a bit, as Mikey sniffled and clung to the leg of one of them, hiding behind him. Then the twins looked at each other before looking back, and expressions of terror spread over both of their faces as the tall Drakkaren idly brushed a hand through his hair. "You... you're..."

"The Boss." Zerrex said mildly, then he crossed his arms and jerked his muzzle down at Miranda, looking past the brothers and down at Mikey with disgust as he attempted to hide behind the smaller of the twins. "And yes. Right. He got beaten up by some of the kids here. 'Cause, you know, I can wipe out an entire army, but definitely can't control a few friendly kiddies."

Both of the twins winced at the sarcasm the voice of the reptile dripped with, and they both shrunk under the dangerous glare he tossed before he said icily: "Why don't you two ask your darling little brother to point out just who... 'beat him up,' in his eloquent words?"

"Hey... um... could you, Mikey? Please?" asked the one in the green toque, and the other brother shuffled his foot and did his best to avert the emerald eyes of the Drakkaren, but was apparently having trouble looking away from the legendary figure before him. The youngest feline, however, had neither the fearful respect nor the understanding of just who the Boss was that the two older brothers apparently did... and instead he simply sulked and pointed out at the class in general.

The twins tried vainly to follow his finger, and Zerrex rolled his eyes before reaching down and gently patting Miranda on the head, who blushed deeply and clung to his leg as he said mildly: "Here's the culprit. I suppose you two want to beat her up, do you?"

Now the pair of felines was staring with disbelief as Miranda peered up at them, the young panther girl beet-red beneath her black fur as Zerrex felt her trying to squeeze even closer against his leg. Then she mumbled something that sounded like an apology, and the reptile smiled a bit before adding in a nonchalant voice: "If it matters at all, she's sorry, you know... for kicking your brother off after he tried to running tackle her, which I'm guessing he likely learned from one of you."

The taller of the two blushed furiously, looking down and mumbling something lamely as he put his hands in the pockets of his school jacket. Then the other straightened, and both of them shuffled on the spot before they suddenly turned and walked away, Mikey squalling as the smaller of the two grabbed the ruff of his neck and half-dragged him along, the twin felines yelling at their younger brother angrily as they made a hasty retreat. Zerrex shook his head and rolled his eyes as he looked after them, then he turned back to the class and coughed, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the staring eyes of the children and said mildly: "Well, um. Like I said. You should always do your best to avoid conflict and fighting..."

"I agree." piped up a familiar voice, and Zerrex turned to look at Tinman with relief, watching the badger approach with a smile, holding a large tray that was piled high with sandwiches. Behind him, a blanket floated lazily along like a ghost, pulled by a steel clasp that the badger had at some point attached to it before it lay gently down on the grass in front of him, and Tinman put the tray down on it and said cheerfully: "Come on everyone. Peanut butter and jelly, just like you all like."

The kids immediately swarmed the blanket... then laughed and pointed as a metal cooler floated slowly through the air before setting gently down and popping open, filled with boxes of juice and two cans of Frost cola. Tinny held a hand up, and the cans floated into the air before one flew to his waiting hand: the other floated over to Zerrex, who caught it and nodded to the badger with a smile as he walked idly forwards, rubbing at the back of his head. "Thanks, Tinny."

"No problem... you were out here for quite a while, you know." The badger replied, idly handing out sandwiches to the kids that were flocking and babbling around him. "Enjoy yourself, Boss?"

"Maybe slightly." Zerrex responded with a shrug, popping the tab on the can and then relishing the cold of the cola as he closed his eyes, before he half-opened one and saying mildly: "But If we were out here so long, what took you so long to get all the sandwiches and stuff done?"

"I had to finish two little projects..." Tinny replied with a smile, tilting his head in return. "One of them's for you... and the other's a gift for your family that I think you might like. You know, something to decorate your yard."

Zerrex rolled his eyes at this, but he couldn't deny he felt touched, even as he said in a dry voice: "I hate lawn ornaments..." This comment, however, only caused Tinman to laugh a bit... and the reptile couldn't resist smiling in return before he glanced around at the children, walking over and taking a sandwich that the badger offered to him before sitting down next to him on the blanket. "So. You gonna be up for helping me training after lunch?"

"Sure." Tinny laughed softly and nodded, then he smiled slightly and flexed his fingers. "I feel recharged and better than ever, actually... I don't know why, but... being around the kids, and building stuff for them with my powers, molding out all those nice little toys... it makes me feel really nice, and just... gives me more energy to play with."

The Drakkaren laughed softly and nodded, looking at Tinman with a smile and understanding what the badger meant: after all, he'd felt much the same through many a battle, which he guessed reflected his own nature. Tinman, on the other, was a peaceful, loving soul... and so it made sense that he'd be made happiest and energized most by helping instead of hurting. "Good to hear it, Tinny. I can't have you falling apart on me, after all."

"You should be the one worrying about falling apart, there, Zerrex." The badger snorted amusedly, taking another sip of his own drink as the reptile stuffed most of the sandwich into his muzzle and chewed, enjoying the pleasant taste of the food and reflecting on how he hadn't eaten peanut butter and jelly since he was a kid. In other words, directing most of his thoughts to ignoring the badger's lecture. "After all, you're pushing yourself insanely hard, even for you... and even the legendary Dragon has to have his limits... hey, are you even listening to me?"

"No." Zerrex responded mildly, then he rolled his eyes as Tinman made a sound of disgust. "And I told you not to call me that. I'm not a frigging dragon. I'm a Drakkaren. The species are probably related, but there is a difference..."

"Oh, so sorry, Mr. species genetics experiment." Tinman responded with a grin and snort, then he ducked as Zerrex threw his can at him, making it slope upwards with his powers so it just missed his ears before neatly stopping the can in midair and dropping it straight down into the cooler. "And you know they don't mean dragon as in our kind of dragons, like Timmy over there, they mean dragon as in the mythical, indomitable, and sorta scary big lizard beast."

The reptile looked at the badger mildly as he finished off the last of the sandwich, then he rubbed crumbs from his hands as he asked evenly: "And this is supposed to be a compliment... how?"

Tinman rolled his eyes at this, obviously feeling more relaxed around the children and at ease with both himself and the reptile, as they scrambled around them, playing in the grass but a few sitting close by and listening in rather obviously. "Because people think you're invincible! Granted, Lone was the one who gave you the nickname, and we've all seen his crest, so perhaps he meant to villainize you after all..."

"Little twit." Zerrex muttered, as he glanced idly around and absently cursed the fact he couldn't use any stronger language with these children sitting nearby. Then he stretched slowly as he looked around the area, smiling a bit at Miranda - she was playing with her unicorn, with the other kids who had their own little metal toys. "So what did you make for me, Tinman?"

"Why don't you go to the shop and check? I'll be there in a few minutes... I just wanna take care of the kids and make sure they're alright first." The badger smiled up at the reptile, and Zerrex nodded in return before easily striding off back in the direction of the large workshop. He found the steel door open and unlocked, and stepped easily through to look around before blinking at the large steel object that stood on the other side of the table, then smiling a bit as he walked slowly around so that he faced straight towards it.

It was a beautiful, iron-wrought sign that showed himself, standing with Cherry and his daughter, and detailed down to the smallest scale. The reptile gazed at it as he rubbed the back of his head slowly, eyes tracing over the life-sized, flat statuettes that nonetheless seemed as real and living as he was... and then he reached out and gently touched the bronzed cheek of his daughter with the back of his hand, gazing softly at her before stepping back. It was set up so that they were clustered together with a rectangular, steel frame behind them supporting them... and since it was nothing more than an etched and carefully-shaped piece of metal with the frame to support from behind and a heavy octagonal base, it had probably been the work of hours for the badger. But that didn't matter... and Zerrex got the feeling that Tinman had likely spent days - if not weeks - on this masterpiece.

He gave a quiet laugh as he gazed over the decorative sign, losing track of time as he studied everything from the clothes that Tinny had drawn in, to the shape of their bodies... it was truly like Tinman had taken a life-size photograph and made it iron. Finally, Zerrex glanced up as he heard the badger step through the door, and the lizard said softly: "It's beautiful. Thank you..."

"It's... nah. I just wanted to do something nice for you, that's all." Tinman replied with a bit of a laugh, blushing and rubbing the back of his head slowly. "I wanted to put together something that you could look at and... remind you of the important people in your life, if you were ever separated... I guess in times like now."

"Then it's not done." Zerrex responded gently, and Tinny blinked as he looked up at him, before blushing deeply at the reptile's next words. "You'll have to add yourself in, too."

"Thanks, Boss." Tinman whispered with a smile, and then Zerrex nodded before stepping back and crossing his arms, looking at Tinny mildly. The badger took the hint, then he smiled warmly before walking around to face the front of the iron sign, and then he waved both hands quickly over the bottom area.

Amazingly, the etches, bulges, and other defining marks and shifts in the metal simply vanished with a single grinding sound, the iron once more turning into a flat, heavy sheet. Then the badger stood and glanced up over his shoulder at the Drakkaren warmly. "I'll put myself in there, kneeling... I'll work on that all tomorrow, Boss. But for now, I want to show you something before we head back to your place to train..."

Zerrex nodded, then followed Tinman forwards and back around his worktable. Then the badger snagged something off it that the reptile had missed in his original wonderment at the iron sign, and he tilted his head curiously as Tinny held out what looked like a strange kind of shoulder clasp with a heavy, rectangular bar on one end of the U and the other designed to apparently sit firmly on the chest, with an odd leather bandolier attached to it and currently hanging loose.

The lizard took it, then he glanced down at the strange object before frowning curiously and glancing at Tinman. "What is it?" He paused again as Tinny merely smiled and motioned for him to put it on, and then he shrugged a bit before putting the metal section over his left shoulder.

He could feel the heavy steel bar resting comfortably just above his shoulderblade, extending all the way to his spine... and now Tinny moved quickly forwards, mumbling to himself as Zerrex blinked and rose his arms. A few moments later, he found himself wearing an X-shaped leather bandolier that kept the strange shoulder-armor tight against his body, feeling it crossing up and all three ends attaching by some sort of clasp onto an eyehook at the bottom of the bar on his back, and the reptile made a bit of a face as he crossed his arms over the black straps... but he had to admit, although it felt heavy in his hands, he barely noticed it now that it was secure on his body. "What the hell is this, Tinman?"

"You'll see." Tinny grinned, and Zerrex rolled his eyes at this answer before sighing and following the badger as he ran outside. For some reason, he thought he would either be very glad or very sorry when his curiosity about this strange object was finally quenched... but he was leaning towards the former, as he idly fingered the studded leather straps that crisscrossed his upper chest, smiling slightly and then shrugging a bit. Well, I guess it looks sort of cool, at least...

The lithe male was down on one knee with the kids clustered around him, smiling and saying his goodbyes as the kids whined and sniffled. But he dealt with it well, as he stood up... then he glanced over his shoulder at Zerrex and said easily: "Hey, don't be so stiff. Say goodbye to the kids... after all, they're gonna miss you too, aren't you kids?"

Most of the group nodded at this, a few of the others rubbing at their eyes as they all turned their gazes to Zerrex. The reptile looked back, feeling strangely uncomfortable as he reached up and rubbed his head, then he said softly: "Well, I'll come back when I can, then, and... play with you some more. Right now Tinman and I need to head out and do some... grown-up stuff, but we'll come back and visit as soon as we can."

"Promise?" asked Miranda, who had tears in her eyes and was sniffling probably the most of all the children gathered. Tinny turned his gaze to her and smiled, nodding firmly as he reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Promise." He said softly, then he stood and waved at the children, laughing a bit. "Now go on, get home, kids! Your parents are probably all starting to get really worried about you!"

And with that, the children dispersed, and Zerrex couldn't help but smile faintly at the sad expression that descended over Tinny's features. He was probably just as sorrowful as Miranda at the fact they had to part... but then the reptile reached out and squeezed his shoulder gently, stepping close and saying softly: "It's a promise I mean to keep, Tinny. Even tomorrow, you could come back here yourself and just spend the day with them... but for now, we gotta get back to work training."

"Okay, Zerrex." The badger smiled a bit at this, glancing up at him before the two headed for his car, ready to return to Zerrex's home and finish the Drakkaren's hard training.

The rest of the day passed fairly peaceably and quietly, with little of interest: Cindy worked to get as much information out of Requiem as she could, gleaning little bits of the past and how her father was raised, as Felicity tossed and turned in a nightmare world while Tank loomed over her, grinning and slavering over her naked body and trying to ignore her scars. Mika was in deep agony, but he was learning to control and use the pain to power himself and fuel his determination, as he carefully cleaned his room until it was entirely neat and tidy, then quietly reading as the bikers looked at him nervously; it wasn't that they thought he had a weapon, but merely the fact he acted like no junkie they'd ever known.

Zerrex and Tinman worked the weights, then Zerrex finished with a few dodge and reflex maneuvers before finally admitting they should rest a bit. He had to admit, though, he was deeply impressed with what Tinny had given him... a magnetic holder that would let him keep Blackheart on his back without a sheath or rope. Either of those, after all, could foul up his draw... but with the magnetic lock, he just needed to rip the sword free, and he could do so in any direction desired.

Even Lone and Cherry had little to do, as the wolf oversaw the deconstruction of all the objects in his house that he realized were simply vanity pieces or flaunted his name... the lupine had even discarded his anklet, but the pocketwatch around his neck remained as a cherished treasure. He and Cherry simply played round after round of cards at the table in the main dining hall, the female Drakkaren often cursing at him and about her luck, which made Lone smile meekly and try to shrink down in his seat.

There was a growing anxiety in Baskin's Grove, however... stories of the Boss's failing strength were met with rumors that the Boss had been seen with Tinman, and Cherry with Lone. But now there was also the growing fear of the large Dragokkaren that had apparently taken up residence in an abandoned sawmill nearby, and eventually these would reach the ears of Elliot.

The cat was haggard and unkempt, his clothes a bit stained and out of the fancy uniform he usually wore when tending bar, and back to the plain dress shirt and jeans. He'd been fearing for Cindy... worried about Zerrex... and generally feeling pissed off at Lone, who had been supposed to be doing his job but was obviously just using Cherry as a valet and driving all around town having fun. But he'd also been carefully listening in to any trustworthy sources of information, and had left a few messages on Zerrex's machine, confirming the location of Requiem and his daughter, and asking how he was. The cat didn't expect an answer, though... after all, the Boss was likely busy with his training and the other problems that had cropped up around town.

There hadn't yet been any serious unruliness in the city... but the drug dealers on the street had been working overtime to sell their wares at higher prices, along with the illegal weapons sellers. There had been a few more heckles, and a beating or two... not to mention a scattering of small crimes the cops were looking into... but nothing major yet. The fact that the Boss hadn't appeared to give a warning or even just to glare at anyone made quite a few people wonder if he had diminished after all... but a few reasoned out what the Drakkaren was really doing. Most, however, simply decided that the Boss's presence may have yet diminished... but that it would likely return full force sometime soon.

Some, like the Godkillers of course, were hopeful that Zerrex had fallen... or would soon in the future fall, leaving them free to run the town, unwittingly following in the example of their hated Apple Villa enemies. Of course, they believed their intentions were pure, to put the working class first and make sure that the rich never again had the power to abuse the poor... unwittingly, at the same time, setting themselves up for a dictatorship that would be led by Tank.

Baskin's Grove was restless... and the mask of serenity that had for so long been placed firmly over the town had fallen free, unveiling its true, fettered face. The town's anxiety was only building, and as day shifted towards night, many found themselves closing and locking their doors even when they knew the neighborhood to be safe and that they were under the protection of the Boss... but the fearlessness so many had once possessed with the knowledge that Zerrex would stand by their side had dissipated. Now, they felt like they were again on their own, with no strange, holy demon to stand guard over them in the darkest of the nights and fight off the other devils that still lurked in the shadows of the town. The Dragon had not yet been slain, but it had certainly retired to its cave, as if fleeing... and the inhabitants of the town feared that soon enough, even this creature would fall to either fancy-armored white knights that rode around on chauffeured stretch-horses, or the colossal titan that had taken up residence in the windmill on the other edge of town. The rumors and gossip had spread through the town like a whirlwind, and many of them had the uneasy feeling that soon, it would have to be sown.

Lone was definitely among the uneasy parties of Baskin's Grove, as he noticed that more and more frequently, people were driving by his home and either yelling or throwing things at him: he thought that some certain people had figured out that the Boss was busy with other matters. Therefore, when Cherry checked her watch, then stood and stretched, the wolf made a face and immediately leapt up, sending the deck of cards he'd been shuffling flying as he stuttered: "Wait, wait! Don't go!"

Cherry paused, then the muscular female crossed her arms, looking at the wolf with faint amusement as a few stray cards floated down through the air around the lupine, the rest of the deck already spread wildly around his feet and the table. "And why shouldn't I, Lone? You've got guns, a big house, and an army of servants who don't like you but would probably be more than willing to hide you and misdirect the enemy. Like, I can't stay here forever... it's past eleven now and I need to get back and make sure that Zerrex isn't going to screw around and do something retarded, like try to work all day tomorrow when he promised me he'd take the day off."

"I... what? I thought... you and Zerrex..." Lone reached up and rubbed his head, then he blushed deeply as Cherry cocked her head and looked at him with some confusion. Then he glanced down miserably, realizing that the idea of Cherry and Zerrex breaking up was ridiculous... it had all been a deluded fantasy that she'd barely had to play along with, with him happy to try and put some new label of ownership on her... "Nevermind..."

"Yeah. Right. Anyway, I'm gonna take your sports car. I'm pretty sure most people in Baskin's Grove believe you'd rather die before parting with that piece of shit, so it'd be nice if we could confuse them into thinking you were over at Zerrex's instead of here, just in case anyone tries to be a hero." She stopped, then reached out and nudged the wolf's muzzle up, looking down into his teary eyes without much sympathy... but okay, maybe a little. "Hey, cheer up. I'll stop in and check on you the day after tomorrow, alright? But I promised I'd spend all day with Zerrex tomorrow, and you know... make sure he's good and ready before the fight."

She grinned and winked suggestively at this, then rose a hand to the wolf before turning on her heel and heading out the swinging door. And just like that, she was gone, leaving Lone to stare after her through the swinging door before he sighed loudly and collapsed in his seat. He looked around, thought about calling a servant... then shrugged and instead got down to his knees with a grunt, picking up the cards on the floor before straightening and dropping them on the table with the others. He stared at them for a few moments, then shook his head slowly and slumped a bit, rubbing his head.

Cherry was his friend... and he didn't really have any other friends, did he? No, he was... goddamn lonely, and he didn't want to feel that way. Sure, he'd always paraded his stupid name around like it was some kind of great title, always scoffed about needing people, saying that nah, he was Lone fuckin' Wulfe, baby... but he needed someone. He'd always been a crybaby and a coward and a wimp, and even being home alone scared the shit out of him, especially in a mansion like this. He looked silently back and forth along the now-bare dining room, then quietly walked towards one of the other doors to the south of the room, pushing through and into another hallway.

He wandered down this, paws moving automatically and carrying him to a destination he wasn't yet sure of, as he reached up to finger and then grasp his pocketwatch tightly. He closed his eyes as he leaned against the wall for a minute, fighting back tears as he felt despair wash over him, wondering if he'd already fucked things up with Cherry and she just wanted to get away from him... before shaking his head quickly, refusing to believe that. They were friends now... he felt that firmly, and he wasn't willing to give that up, no matter what it took. No matter what... he wanted to show that he'd do anything, go to any lengths for her...

Slowly, he began to walk forwards again, pushing through another door he usually kept locked and then descending into the now-empty warehouse of the basement... and then gazing at the oak door that would lead into his special gun room beyond. For a moment, the wolf licked his lips slowly... then he started forwards, moving across the room at almost a jog before he threw the door open, the lights inside automatically flashing on to unveil his most prized collection.

The room itself was designed to be magnificent... lit by bright fluorescents overhead, and painted a deep red that was regal and beautiful, with heavy oak showcases all filled with guns. There was also a huge, flat set of oaken cupboards upon which sat a large glass case, with a vellum bottom the same dark ruby as the walls and filled with specialized handguns and revolvers.

The showcases all had heavy locks on them and bulletproof glass doors: of course, the wolf never bothered to lock them, though, or the drawers beneath that were full of specialized ammo that was probably just as expensive as some street guns. Inside the cases the lupine kept carbine rifles, a few fully automatic assault rifles - one or two heavy enough he'd likely have no chance in hell of using them properly even with a tripod - and two enormous sniper rifles. One of them was semi-automatic, with an enormous clip that the wolf had spent hours playing with when he'd first gotten the gun... and the other was bolt action, with an ancient maple stock and body, and a huge, slightly-rusted scope that nonetheless worked better than most of the fancy gadget-scopes the wolf had.

The other glass cases that sat atop the cupboards set - these latter filled entirely with ammunition - were made only of the clearest and most expensive glass the wolf could find... meaning it was also among the most fragile, and already cracked in one place. Three guns sat in their own little area on the vellum cloth, including the wolf's gigantic black revolver... and the rest - which included a few fancy fully-automatic handguns - sat in a small rack under the glass at one end of the case.

The lupine looked at the glass cases for a few moments, and at the huge revolver inside... then he finally snarled, reaching out and swiping off the simple glass rectangle, knocking it and several guns to the floor. The case shattered into pieces upon impact with the ground, almost exploding... but Lone had already grabbed the revolver off the vellum and examined it. He grinned a bit to himself upon noticing it was fully loaded, his eyes flashing... then he slapped the cylinder back in and spun it as he rose the huge gun, liking the feel of it in his hands and the weight of the weapon. He knew that the recoil would be amazing... but he didn't care.

All he could hear was one simple phrase repeating in his head, again and again... and Zerrex had been the one to teach him this simple truth, that if you want something, go and get it yourself. Now, it suddenly made sense to him, why he had to do some things himself, stand up on his own two feet and prove just how far he was willing to go to get what he truly wanted, what he needed... and the thing he needed now was Cherry.

He breathed softly as he headed for the stairs quickly, revolver swinging in his hand before he paused in the hall above and then examined the black metal gun again, his steel-grey eyes dulling a bit as he felt a tremble roll through his body. He understood that the only way to get Cherry... would likely be to go through Zerrex. To prove that he could stand up even to the gigantic Drakkaren who had already given him so many chances... but this gun had been designed to kill the reptile. Lone had ordered it specifically for that purpose, and had also made a box of armor-piercing shells sent to him with it... rounds that would penetrate even the hardest of metals. But part of him was whispering that this was a bad idea... that at least, he should try and sleep on it and think things over.

In the past, Lone always ignored this little voice... but today, he decided it might be a good idea to follow it. He sighed a bit, rubbing his head slowly and then heading quietly towards the den where he'd slept last night, feeling no particular urge to head up to bed. Once more, the idea was almost frightening for the wolf... in fact, almost as scary as what he planned to do the next day after he woke up, to prove to Cherry how much she meant to him and how far he was willing to go for her.