The Arrival

Deep in the confines of the Emberwing's HQ, there was a room turned to a holding cell for one prisoner. Handcuffed and tied to the chair was Thomas, gagged and unconscious, along with 3 phoenixes.

"What's the point of this?" One of them grumbled, rubbing his forehead; "This guy is a nobody! Why are we doin' random B&Es and snatching some random Normie?"

One of the other phoenixes shrugged his shoulders, flipping through his phone. "Beats me. But if the boss gives an order, we gotta follow it. You know the rules."

The first Phoenix chuffed, glaring at their hostage. "This is beneath us! We used to BE something! No we're just some errand birds! For what? Some lizard who thinks he's better than us??"

The second Phoenix stopped scrolling through his phone, giving the mouthy bird the side eye. "Watch it. You know Master Draique could have you iced to the point you wouldn't come back from your ashes."

Just as the first one was about to respond, the door opened, an old Phoenix walking in along with 3 other phoenixes, the 3 in the room quickly standing at attention.

"Good afternoon Boss!" They all said in unison.

The old bird grumbled, waving his hand to signal the 3 to relax. "I told you you don't have to do that everytime." He cleared his throat, placing his hands behind his back; "I've been informed that Master Draique is sending one of his subordinates to collect the prisoner. So make sure you lot don't mess anything up."

The first Phoenix looked at the old bird confused. "Uh, Boss? I don't get this. Why is Draique interested in this…this Normal?"

The old bird glared at the younger Phoenix. "That's not our concern. And that's 'Master' Draique. You would be wise to remember that." The old bird looked at the gazelle tied up; "Whatever he has planned, I'm sure there's a reason behind it. Master Draique isn't one to do things without thinking things through first."

Just then, one of the 3 that followed the old bird received a message through his earpiece, leaning forward towards the old bird. "Boss, we seem to have some uninvited guests."

The old bird nodded. "I'm sure the guards will handle them. Just be sure to clean up before the pick up."

"About that, Boss." The Phoenix leaned in closer, whispering; "We've already lost 20 guards. Whoever they are, they're here for a reason." The message made the old bird's feathers stand on end slightly; "Intel says it's a canine and a ram. Perhaps one of the other families are trying to make a move?"

"I highly doubt that." The old bird grumbled; "It's probably just a couple of punks trying to make a name for themselves. Wouldn't be the first." He waved his wing slightly; "Send the Talons after them and make sure they teach these nobody punks a lesson."

As the 3 with the old bird leave to tend to the intruders, the old bird's phone goes off. Grumbling, he answers it, holding it up to his ear. "Hello, this is Sekiro Emberwing. Who is-"

The younger 3 phoenixes notice Sekiro's face full with shock as whoever called him seemed to cut him off. Seconds later, he nodded quickly. "U-Understood! I'll make sure they're treated with the respect they deserve!" After a few seconds, Sekiro bowed while still on the phone; "O-Of course sir!"

The 3 watched in silence as Sekiro stood up, hanging up the phone. "This must be some sick joke…" The old bird glared at the 3 younger phoenixes; "You are to guard this captive with your lives! Master Draique is sending 5 of his top subordinates for the pick up."

With that, Sekiro quickly turned and left the room. As he left, the 3 that remained in the room looked at each other, nodding as they realized things were serious.

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Meanwhile, Kip and Ares were deep in the hideout hiding in a broom closet, Ares holding a Phoenix from behind with his arms around his neck. "Now, I'll only ask this once; Where is our companion?"

The Phoenix, struggling to breathe, tried desperately to remove Ares' arm, but to no avail. "The…the prisoner is…4 floors down! In a…a room labeled…Keep out!"

Kip glared at the bird, baring his fangs. "What have you done to Tommy?! If any of you hurt even one hair on his head-"

"We…We're under orders to not hurt him!" The Phoenix gasped quickly; "He's supposed to be picked up to…to be taken to Master Draique!"

Ares looked at Kip, who looked slightly confused. Ares loosened his grip slightly. "Draique? As in…Draique Blackscale?" Ares had a strange feeling come over him; "And what would the Blackscales want with a normal Gazelle?"

The Phoenix took in a deep breath, finally able to breathe. "H-How should I know?? We just follow orders! We were told to nab the critters from the photos, so that's what we did!"

Kip's ears twitched hearing that. "Photos? What photos?"

The Phoenix moved his hips to turn his body slightly. "Front pocket in my jacket. The photos are in there."

Kip quickly fished through his pocket, finding a small stack of photos. Seeing them, he let out a gasp, covering his mouth in disbelief. In the photos were images of Thomas, Abby, Sadie, Rachel, Kip and Vanessa. And on the bottom of the photos were the words 'Companions of Experiment 237. Capture alive to draw 237 in.'

Kip held up the photos, letting Ares see. Seeing the words on the photos, his grip tightened around the phoenix's throat. "What the hell does 'experiment 237' mean?" Ares growled low, making sure not to gain any unwanted attention; "Talk!"

Just then, something made a static noise in the room. "Attention everyone! This is Sekiro!" A voice echoed through the building's sound system; "We have received word from Master Draique that he is sending 5 of his underlings to retrieve his package. They are to arrive within the next 45 minutes, so be sure to be on your best behavior!"

Ares stared at the speaker curiously. 'His 'package'? Are they talking about Thomas?'

"Also…" the voice continued; "We have received word that we have 2 intruders trying to cause trouble. I have sent out the Talons to deal with them quickly, but if you happen to take care of them first, you'll be handsomely rewarded. That is all."

Ares narrowed his eyes, returning his attention to the bird in his grip, noticing he accidentally choked him unconscious. "Oops." Ares laid him on the ground in the closet; "Well he didn't seem to have any information other than where they're holding Thomas."

Kip nodded, peaking outside the door. "Hallway's clear. Let's move." With that, the 2 slipped out of the closet and made their way down the hall, looking for a way 4 floors down.

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As all this was happening, about 40 miles out was a limo heading towards the Emberwing's HQ. Inside the limo was a Phoenix driver, a Phoenix in the back, and 5 very strange looking creatures wearing suits of varied design.

The 5 creatures varied in color, but they all had the same features. They had what appears to be a shark-like head with long pointy ears, long and mostly slender bodies, 4-fingered claws and feet, long tails that end in a bushy patch of fur on the end and fur covering their entire bodies. Their fur each had unique markings and colorations, making these things something the Phoenix had never seen before in his entire lifetime.

One of the creatures, a fairly short one with red fur and orange and yellow spots and streaks with a scythe-shaped scar over her right eye, let out an exhaustive groan as she leaned back into the seat. "How much longer till we get there!? We've been driving for forEVER!!"

Another one with lime green fur with white patches, sat forward, tapping his foot restlessly. "Ai, Caroline's right! We've been in this bloody box for so long I feel like it's me damned coffin!"

Another, built like a tank with cream fur that ended with orange tips, sat with his arms crossed. "Patience Dante, Caroline." His voice was deep and rough; "We'll be there soon enough."

Dante rested his claw on his knee, looking towards the big guy. "Oh ye? And when's that gonna be Maxy? I mean we could at least roll the bloody windows down to get some fresh air! Least then I wouldn't have te smell your 'high and mighty' attitude!"

The smaller of the 5 cautiously leaned forward, raising her hands up toward Dante with concern in her eyes. Her fur was cream and ended with white tips. "Please be patient, Dante." Her voice was soft and slightly nervous; "Maxwell just meant that we only have a few more minutes left before we arrive!"

Dante looked towards the smaller creature, letting out a sigh. "Ah, ya know I can't stay mad when ya say somethin, little Brianne." He then cut a glare at Maxwell; "Even if it's the Badger's Arse's fault."

The final one let out a chuckle, leaning back with his legs crossed listening to the group. His fur was bright blue with dark blue on the top of his snout, head and back, along with red streaks going across his snout and the back of his fur. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, revealing his heart shaped red patch on his left ear and his 6 piercings over his left eye, the 3rd from the right a pink heart piercing. "Everyone relax." His voice as fairly deep; "Once we get to our destination, we'll be able to stretch our legs. Also, we're gonna need to use our codenames the Doctor gave us, for safety reasons."

Caroline groaned, leaning her head back before glaring at the blue guy. "Seriously Treveg? Why do we need to use those stupid codenames?!"

Treveg cut a glare at Caroline. "Because I said so. Apparently there are a couple of punks kicking the nest, so be ready everyone." He raised his arms to rest his elbows on his knees, resting his chin on the back of his hands. He then let out a grin, small purple sparks coming from his fangs; "There's always a chance one of them might be 'Him'. The One that Escaped."

Hearing that, the other 4 looked at Treveg, Brianne lifting a hand up to her mouth, gently bitting her finger. "Do…Do you really think we might find him?"

Caroline growled as she sat forward, resting her hands on her knees. "If we do, I call first blood." She held up her right hand, looking at it before clenching her fist, snarling; "That bastard will pay! He gets to live his life while we're stuck in a damn cage…damn traitor!"

"We're pulling up to the HQ now." The Phoenix driving the vehicle called out. The 5 creatures looked out the window, seeing the building towering over the smaller ones surrounding it.

Dante tapped his foot restlessly. "Ah, bout time! At least I'll be able to stretch me limbs!"

Caroline glared at the building. "This better be worth my time. Otherwise this building is ash."

As the car pulled up, the old Phoenix and his 3 guards were sainting at the front of the building. One of the guards walked up and opened the door, bowing as the other 2 guards quickly bowed as well.

Sekiro, seeing the strange creatures climbing out of the car, bowed his head. "Welcome, esteemed guests! My name is Sekiro. A pleasure to-"

As Sekiro was talking, Dante's green fur began ruffling as wind began to encircle him. "I'm all for pleasantries, but I've been cooped up in that bloody box fer too long!" Just then, he began to float, then fly into the air; "Imma take a look around the place! I'll catch up with ya later!"

As he took off soaring around the building, Caroline snarled angrily. "Dammit Dante!"

Caroline felt a hand in her shoulder, looking to see Treveg walking past her. "Relax 'Reaper'. I'm sure 'Jack' knows what he's doing."

Hearing him put emphasis on their codenames, Caroline knew what he meant. She made a 'tch' noise, brushing off Treveg's hand. "Whatever, 'Skyr'."

Treveg walked up to the old Phoenix, smirking as he looked down his snout at him. "Now then, I believe you have a gift for our boss."

Sekiro was taken aback by this strange creature towering over him, as well as the rest of them. He quickly composed himself as he nodded. "O-Of course! Right this way, please." He then turned and began leading the 4 creatures into the building.

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As this was happening, the 3 phoenixes guarding Thomas were loafing around on the couches. One of them groaned, standing up. "This is so LAME!" The other 2 barely looked up at the loudmouth, scrolling through their phones; "Why is it we're STILL stuck on Babysitting?!" He pointed to Thomas, who was still unconscious; "I mean come ON! He's been out since we gave him the sedative! That stuff could put down a Raging Rhino!"

One of the other phoenixes rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and do your job." He then looked up at the loudmouth; "And maybe you keep getting out on these 'lame missions' because you keep running that mouth of yours. Ever think about that?"

The loudmouth was about to snap back when a knock on the door made them all jump. The loudmouth looked towards the door curiously. "Huh? They're here already?" He let out a relieved sigh, walking towards the door; "Finally, I can be done with this stupid assignment."

He opened the door, ready to greet the visitors, but what he saw took him by surprise. He saw a cute Golden Lab wearing a tight fitting 'spider-pig' t-shirt, camo pants and black boots. The dog smiled, taking the Phoenix off guard. Just then, he leaned forward, doing a standing split, one foot on the ground and the other flicking up to kick the Phoenix in the face with his heel, sending the bird tumbling back, out cold.

Before the other 2 could react, a blur of brown rushed into the room, hitting the birds in the gut, knocking the wind out of them, loosing consciousness soon after. Kip jumped over the bird in front of him, rushing over to Thomas. "Tommy! Oh thank goodness you're ok!"

As Ares tied up the birds and placed them on the couch, he looked over at Thomas. "Safe to assume they sedated him to keep him from causing a problem." He walked over, undoing the knots in the rope; "Also, that was a masterful kick. I've never seen someone pull off a move like that."

Kip smiled, giving Ares a playful wink; "That's just because I'm flexible. Get me in bed and I'll show you how flexible I am.~"

Ares removed the rope, ignoring Kip's banter. "We should carry him out, and quickly. Before these 'underlings' get here."

After Ares picked the handcuff locks, he went to pick up Thomas, but Kip brushed him aside. "I'll carry him. We need your hands free just in case something happens." Before Ares could protest, Kip scooped Thomas onto his back, his arms draped over Kip's shoulders. As he lifted him up, his legs buckled, struggling slightly; "He-Heavyyyy…"

Ares raised an eyebrow seeing Kip struggle slightly. "Are you sure you don't want me to-"

"I said I'll carry him!" Kip snapped. He then smiled and winked again; "It's just the first time I had him behind me while I'm still standing."

Ares sighed and rolled his eyes, moving towards the door, making sure the hallway was clear. "Alright, let's hurry to the elevator so we can leave." Kip gave Ares a nod, both of them hurrying down the hall.

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As Sekiro lead the group of 4 through the building, one of the 3 guards cleared his throat. "Um…if you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you 5?"

The 4, who were staring off and looking around at the building, looked at the Phoenix curiously.

Treveg let out a chuckle, waving a hand in front of him towards the curious bird, his eyes closed. "Above your pay grade. That's what we are." He then shot a glare at the bird; "So it's best you don't ask too many questions. Understood?"

Sekiro cleared his throat, trying to calm the situation. "The quickest way would be the elevator." He pressed the button, hearing a groan from behind him. He looked to see Maxwell, aka Munster, rolling his eyes.

"All of us crammed into a box? We'd be better to take the stairs."

Just as Munster turned to walk towards the stairs, the elevator made a 'ding!' as the doors opened, revealing 2 strangers carrying the prisoner. The 4 creatures and the phoenixes stared in confusion as they saw a golden lab carrying the prisoner on his back, standing next to a Ram looking creature.

Treveg's eyes slowly went wide in shock as he stared at the Ram, noticing the 'Ram' was an equine with ram horns. His mouth slowly opening in shock. 'No…way…' He thought as he stared at the stranger, feeling his heart starting to race in excitement; 'It's…it's Him! Experiment 237!'

To be continued