Of course, Isabelle needed some minor first aid for being 'stabbed' in the back by the faux
diamond doorknob by Randy's failed escape charge. Thankfully all it amounted to was an
nasty bruise which Kaylee's rudimentary first aid was more than able to handle.
Pearl kept an eye on their children while June stayed with their mate so he wouldn't have to
get up if he wanted anything before Julie had a chance to look him over. This had been
June's idea.
June knew her focus on Zack was part of the Dare Pearl had placed on her. But June didn't
care. 'We're all already brainwashed to love Master and be loyal to the pack. What does one
more piece of brainwashing matter?' June was just glade now that Zack was 'debugged'
that she wouldn't have to chose between her loyalty to Zack and loyalty to the Master.
Kaylee's single desire after the transformation of Zack's parents was to turn on the sound
system and play 'All Night Long!' through the speakers, take one of the wine bottle
through of the mini-bars strategically placed throughout the house and chug the bottle
and do the high-land fling, but this time with no embarrassment or shame like when Kat
had Dared Kyle to naked below the waist at school. 'After all, the shadows are going to
take Glendale's business world by storm, Jack and Marcine will provide us with a lifetime
supply of venison, the six gargoyles could stop a SWAT Team, the gem-wolves have got
our island retreat covered, we're immune to having our wolf selves stolen from us ever,
and Zack's kids means we don't need to use the game to add to the pack anymore. WE
WIN!'
However she had planned to spend today with her cubs and that was precisely what she
intended to do. She did feel that with Martha with Alice and her cousins/sisters meant she
did feel somewhat like she was watching a cousin's kids for them as she led Amy and
Zelipe to their new playmates. They were pleasant to be around, but she didn't get the
same sheer endearment and wholeness she got around her own children.
She walked over to the couch behind the space in front of the Wii where her children had
gathered, "Everyone, Bart, Jenny, Marcy, Kevin, these are your new pack mates. They aren't
my or your father's children like Alice and her sisters, but they are part of our pack and
you should treat them with respect."
The seven year old Marcy and Kevin kept looking at how the eight year old Amy moved like
a snowflake on a gentle winter breeze, while the nine year old Jenny kept eying her almost
antagonistically. Bart looked at while Zelipe was acting a little shy around the other
children and thought, 'Okay, got another one I gotta introduce to the boy's club proper.'
"Konichiwa to you all." Amy bowed politely.
Everyone tilted their heads but Jenny.
"That means good afternoon in Japanese." Jenny said simply, "Don't try to impress
everyone by being fancy."
"I am merely being polite." Amy said with no trace of hostility or ego.
"Nice ta mecha, I'm Bart, you're Zelipe right? That's my brother Kevin, it's nice to have
another boy around at last even if it meant another girl."
His sisters all looked at him only slightly darkly.
"It's... nice to meet you too..." Zelipe said.
Bart shook his head, "That's now how you say 'Hello'! Ya go, 'Hi ya!' Okay?"
"Hi ya?"
"Louder!"
"HI YA!"
The other pups shuddered under the power of Zelipe's lungs.
Bart just grinned his muzzle and nodded, "Okay! That's good!"
"You," The black wolf Jenny pointed at the white wolf Amy, "Me," She pointed at herself,
"Smash Brothers! Now!"
"But we're in the middle of playing-" Kevin began.
"Now!"
Kaylee said, "Now Jenny, -wait-your-turn!- If you want a one-on-one with Amy, it can
wait till the end of the round you're on."
Jenny shuddered and stood slightly at attention, "Yes Mother."
A few minutes later (with Jenny clearly not giving her all anymore) Jenny and Amy were put
into the fighting game, Amy barely had time to look at the instruction manual before Jenny
declared the game on.
Two minutes later Jenny stared at the screen declaring Amy's character the winner.
Amy looked at Jenny and politely said kindly bowing repeatedly, "Don't be upset, it as all
beginners luck I'm sure. I don't really care much for video games so I don't play them that
much and-"
"Be quite."
"Yes Jenny-chan."
"That's Jenny-Sama to you."
"Shouldn't that suffix be reserved for only your father?"
Jenny stiffened again and could make no retort or reply to that, but, "You're right..."
The other cubs and their other all looked at each other knowing something had just flown
over their heads.
Zelipe asked, "Can I play next? It looked fun."
"And so the addiction begins." Said an adult male voice.
Zelipe and Amy then turned finally looked and notice Mr. P, in all the confusion and chaos
and hustle it was rather forgivable.
"And you would be?" Amy asked.
"I would be because I am, Mr. P, I am Master's great-grandfather and his children's
grandfather, it's an odd story. My job is make sure nothing else hurts you while Martha's
job, you'll meet her at dinner, is to make sure you don't hurt each other."
"I promise I shall do no such thing P-San."
"You weren't Japanese," Jenny said feeling like someone was throwing in things for no
good reason, "Your surname was German. So why the honorifics?"
"I don't know." Amy said honestly, "They seem to be just flowing naturally."
Everyone looked at Zelipe, who raised his hands I defense taking a step back, "Don't look
at me."
Jenny rubbed her 'eyebrows', 'I'm too young for this,' "Could you at least get Chester to
stop salaming at you."
"Who?" Amy asked innocently.
"Him." She pointed at the tiny dog in Mr. P's shadow.
"Oh, sorry Jenny-Chan." Amy bowed again and went to address the tiny dog.
As Bart was showing Zelipe through the co-op mode of the game, (while Kaylee spent
futilely trying to teach her children the rules to 'magic the gather' with specular failure )
the triplets enter the manor through the side doors, looking dirty and smelling (but the
entire estate smelled like wolf so it really didn't bother anyone).
they found Master sitting in the living room with Pearl, Kaylee and Mr. P watching the
pups. And on top of that, there were two new ones. One was a male wolf cub with pink fur,
and other was a girl wolf cub with pristine white fur and bright red highlights in a flowing
pattern.
Jensen took one look at them, "You finished rather fast."
Fran explained, "The job went faster with three of us, and two of have done so twice
before, so we had on-hand experience."
"Are they Zack's parents?"
Pearl stood up and broke the game's hypnotic hold on Zelipe long enough to get him in
front of the triplets, Amy followed automatically.
"They -were- Zackery's parents. Now they are Zackery's children. This is my son, Zelipe,
and this is June's daughter, Amy."
"Hi ya!" Zelipe said remember Bart's 'lesson.'
"It is an honor to meet you." Amy said bowing.
"I'm Fran."
"I'm Darla."
"I'm Julie."
"You haven't met our daughters yet,"
"But you should at Dinner time."
"We hope you aren't confused by their appearance when you see them."
"They are quite pleasant to be around we promise."
"Fran-San, Darla-San, Julie-San, I hope I prove to be worthy member of our house hold."
"Nice to meet you." Zelipe said much more simply.
"And it's nice to meet you too." Replied the triplets together.
"Whao." Zelipe took a step back. Marcy and Jenny giggled. Amy stared in amazement.
"Don't be alarmed." Fran began.
"This is simply the way we are." Darla continued.
"I can promise you we are all quite friendly." Julie finished.
"I hope to meet your daughters soon." Amy said.
"You will." The three said together.
Julie asked Jensen then, "Master, I was wondering, how do you plan to deal with Madam
Serenity?"
"Anyway we can."
Kaylee left her children for a moment and came up to her husband's side.
Kaylee said, for once being the one to bring up such things instead of her mate, "Jensen
dear, shouldn't be a bit worried that we might be investigated for kidnapping or murder if
we take Madam Serenity by force and have to eliminate her as a threat to our pack and
family?"
"Aren't you the one always basking in what our pack can do?" Jensen thought, feeling
ironic since he felt when first changed that his new state would be a free ticket to do
ANYTHING he wanted ever.
"Yes honey, but I am worried, before we always had the game to help cover our tracks. If
Madam Serenity can't be effected by the game, we'll have to go to a LOT MORE trouble to
cover up her vanishing, we'd have to eat her corpse flesh and bones and all to dispose of
any proof and I'd rather not eat human flesh."
Jensen thought, "So would I Kaylee dear. But we can't ignore the danger she poses with
her knowledge of us."
Julie spoke, "Master. We may not need to risk our family's safety by killing her, or risk it by
simply letting her do as she pleases, after she's brought here, maybe we can convince her
that I, Darla, Fran, Abbey, Samantha, Alice, and all of us are better this way, we are happy,
we are united, we are whole. She's an intelligent and reasonable woman, we have to at
least -try- to convince her even if we can't use the pups or the game to make her part of
our family."
"... " Jensen reached out and gently rubbed Julie's breast. Darla only smiled at her triplet
getting Master's attention. "As you wish Julie, we will, but I want your promise that if it's
deemed nessisary, you'll do what needs to be done to protect our pack."
Julie moaned in pleasure ever so slightly and replied, "I...I promise Master, Madam Serenity
won't endanger our pack, I promise."
"NICOLE!" Jensen shouted.
The gray she wolf with the red ribbon around one ear was there in seconds, "You called
Master?"
"Tomorrow, all he lesser males will go to retrieve Madam Serenity for us. leave the where
to me. Nicole, you're to go with them. You're in command. The lesser males are to listen
to your every order. Take whoever else you want with you. Your mission tomorrow is to
bring Madam Serenity back to us alive. Remember the curse does not work on her nor will
any other transformation."
"Yes Master." Nicole bowed, and then quickly rejoined her fellow she wolves.
Nicole spoke, "Terri, Sandi, you're sitting this one out."
"Okay." The blue-green and teal she-wolves nodded, Terri not objecting after Sandi had
been given that black eye by the former day-workers earlier that day.
Nicole snapped her claws, "Ashley, you're with me."
"Right." The blue and sky-blue Ashley said in a brave and determined tone.
"Nicole!" The lavender Sarah shouted suddenly stepping foreword, "Please, let me go too."
"...Sarah.."
"Master said -all- lesser males, and... please, I don't want to see Ulysses hurt in case
something goes wrong."
Nicole shrugged, "What could go wrong? It's just one old woman and maybe one stray cat."
"Please Nicole? As a pack mate?"
"You listen to everything I said, you do everything I say, and your only say in any matter is
'Yes Ma'am!' Understand?"
"Yes Ma'am!"
"Good."
The red-violet Margot looked at the plain green Megan, "Aren't you going to ask to join
too? Your brother is logically going too."
Megan hugged herself, of the titan her brother was now, "He can take care of himself."
"You can't keep going being uncomfortable around your own brother for the rest of your
life you know."
"I know."
+++++++++
Mary gently holding onto Trevor's tail, the tabby led the lion child out of her bedroom
Mary still holding her stuffed animal Lance. After the shock of her brief mania Mary was
docile. Maybe listening in this war meeting was wrong, but both Trevor and Mary -were-
cats, and curiosity was hardwired into their brain structure. Out of sight but not out of
sound.
"So you understand," Felicity said, "If we did have Mary use her turn to make us like her, it
wouldn't be the influence of the game that would make us not want to turn back." She
took her husband's hands, "It would be too much of a tease to Mary, where she's getting
old enough to understand how different she is from everyone else. She's -our- daughter,
we might as well look the part."
Mary's eyes widened and clutched Lance tighter.
Serenity then nodded, "I can appreciate that. But the less the game is used the better, as
long as we're on the same subject, what about using the game to make Mary a normal
human?"
Brian looked at her darkly, "You will never bring that up again. Mary isn't a car to be
customized or fine tuned."
Serenity started but put her poker face back on, "I, I apologize if I somehow implied your
daughter had a disease that needs curing, believe me I know that attitude."
Felicity added, "Thank you, Mary needs to learn to accept what she is and have pride in
herself. She needs to learn that doesn't her going off into the jungle to live like a bushman
-OR- needing to waste money to make herself look more like everyone else. That isn't
living."
Mary leaned against the hallway wall and slid down onto the floor. 'They -want- to be
different, for -me?-'
Serenity said, "She's your daughter, it's not my place to judge how you raise her. But I am
worried that once you were modified by the game to be like your daughter, that it
wouldn't stop with you. Who would be next? The rest of your family? Her friends? Your
friends? Her friends' families? Your friends' families? If the game does have a life of it's
own, whose to say you won't just be lions with human intellect like Jensen and his wolves?
Male lions -eat- the heirs of toppled rivals. Most people don't realize it, thinking humans
don't -have- instincts, but that's because instincts are things you just don't -think-
about."
Trevor remembered, once upon a time, he had been walking by the anime club and saw
two giant robots facing off on the TV inside. It had been a japanese cartoon playing
where the protagonist had declared, after a brief moral exchange with the adversary, 'I
chose to commit evil to destroy the greater evil!' But one of the geeks watching had
commented, 'But how do you keep from becoming the -next- great evil?'
It was a -paradox!- It was like the entire deck had been stacked in the wolves favor!
Everyone in the know involved knew it wouldn't be easy but as they examined the situation
more the more hopeless it looked.
Trevor wondered, 'IS this just a war we can't win?'
Madam Serenity was rather surprised by how quick Mary's parents accepted her word
about the curse of Glendale being reality. However Madam Serenity during her first lifetime
as a police officer and her second lifetime as a detective with dabbling in alchemy and
fortune telling she had learned to read people very well. And she could tell that the Hardys
honestly believed her, rather than just playing along with the old woman until they could
call the mental ward, (it had happened once before). 'I wonder if it's a side effect of the
shift in reality the curse gave Mary's existence as a lion girl.'
Madam Serenity thought, never had the game turned into such a... cascade effect, the
short term and narrow thinking of everyone who used the game before had been nothing
quite like this. All the victims of the game were as different as people will always be, but
always underlying it all was some small-minded revenge or shallow sadism.
"Call the national guard?" Brain suggested honestly.
"If we did, there's bound to be one or two people in power who'd want to use the game to
create super soldiers who didn't question orders. The army is run by -people- just like the
police, and bringing out the worst in people is what this game EXCELS at."
'If we called in the army, they'd likely have to learn of the game, who knows what any army
would do with such a weapon. Create an army of invincible dragon people blindly loyal to
the nation?' Serenity shuddered, 'Same with any giant company that's gotten large enough
to be an entity in of itself and not human anymore.' Gangs. The Mafia. There was just so
much room for total and complete abuse of the game, the original terms the witches used
were just so utterly and complete VAGUE! Of course the screaming large loopholes were
going to be exploits! It was what humans did with ANY game!! "And can you imagine if
the government at large learned of this game? Death row inmates could end up
Transformed into filled tankers of oil or power plant grade plutonium. The game inspires a
person's worst traits it seems, and the -people- in the government would be no
different."
Felicity then asked, "Then what options do you actually -have-? Ask Jensen politely to let
his victims go?"
While meant in jest Serenity said, "If Jensen really is an intelligent wolf, then he's not about
to just give up members of his pack."
Brian threw his hands up, "Offer a free lunch special to an army of wolf people and lace
the free food with lots and lots of sleeping pills?"
Serenity sighed, "That would work only if we could knock them all out at the same time.
And any escapees would just their turns likely to turn more innocent people to replace
their numbers."
Trevor from his spot groaned, 'Stacked deck, stacked deck, and we used up our ex
machina with the cure Father Mike concocted. And if we use our one trick in our arsenal
we could end up with a bunch of animal people wanting to make more animal people and
we'd be RIGHT BACK where we started!'
Brian said, "If you can't use weapons without the police interfering, and you won't use the
game because you're scared we'll end up sociopaths. Then the two solutions are to -get-
some kind, any kind of permission or help from police who -would- be willing to listen. So
how does the game itself work anyway? I mean, besides the whole 'magic' thing?"
Serenity laid down the rules by laws of the game.
"So a person who doesn't answer within a minute gets both Dared and Transformed and
only five people at a time and everyone -must- be inside Glendale?"
"Yes."
"So couldn't you just let us -willingly- wait a minute and then in the Dare include that we
wouldn't use the game on someone unwilling nor -force- that people to be willing?"
Serenity felt a headache coming on, "Two problems with that, one, two lion people won't
stand up against an estate's worth of wolf people. And second, the wolf people wouldn't
technically be 'willing' to be cured of their brainwashing because their 'will' would now to
be Jensen's slaves with a smile."
Felicity asked, "Is it really their 'will' then and not this wolf monster 'Jensen's' will instead?
And therefore they wouldn't have a 'will' of their own to not be 'willing' to be?"
Serenity's head swam for a moment, that was a bit deeper than most people went into a
Dare or Transform, mostly it was just 'have sex with me whenever I want' or 'turn into a
marble fountain.'
"I'll admit I didn't think of that, but -again- this game doesn't seem to absurdly warp the
descriptions of the asker's dare or transform, but whose to say what it -could- do? This
game was made to spread misery, to use it for good goes against it's base nature."
"Maybe it would see us having to suffer being different along with our daughter as
sufficient 'payment?' " Brain asked.
"That's a very big 'if'." Serenity said, "And the two of you, still wouldn't be enough to
subdue Jensen's wolves, who'd be fighting to kill, you wouldn't be."
"You said this game can make someone into -anything- right? And/or do -anything-
right? The witches didn't put any restrictions on such things?"
"It's been the general consensus that they either didn't care, or they were just very very
sloppy in what they did due to being hard pressed."
Felicity asked, "Then IF it can make someone into anything or do anything, then couldn't it
make two lions who could peacefully or non-leathally deal with an estate's worth of wolf
people who wouldn't force their state on others?"
"I've never heard of a Dare or Transform outright -failing-.... and I have seen some odd
things... there was one bigot who turned an innocent man into a satyr with his full mind
intact, who in returned turn him into a fairy, as in pixie with no traces of his old identity...
I think they moved to Yellow Stone National Park... Don't know what happened to them
after that... But I'm worried what could happen if you give the game too tall an order... And
those kinds of things can have unexpected loopholes."
"What about the police who -aren't- pretending the game doesn't exist? You said two
police were involved in this already? You know how personal police take it when one of
their own is harmed. If it needs to be something -simplistic- we can spread it among
willing volunteers."
Being a police officer herself once, Serenity knew that very well indeed.
"It's not like they have a web page listing police who aren't allergic to getting within a mile
of the curse. And if I start asking for something like this they will start reacting with a
similar allergic reaction."
"Madam Serenity," Felicity said, "If you don't have any -good- options, then your only
choice might be to take your -least- bad option."
"You -do- realize how a lion pride works right? The ratio to females to males is quite high.
In order to function coherently as a team most of you and anyone else we, you managed to
convince to join in this mad venture would have become female. And would would you
decide which ones got to remain male? Drawing lots? And by default you interests would
flip with your new gender. You, Brian, might still love Felicity, but could very likely no
longer love her in -that- way anymore."
Both couple shivered and gasped hands.
Brian asked hesitantly, still scared at the idea of no longer being physically attracted to his
own wife, "Jensen, do you have any idea what he plans to do with his new pack of wolf
people?"
"I have no idea. They could be wanted to turn the whole world or town into wolves, or just
continue to snatch up random people when Jensen wants a new lady to look at or not have
to pay the bills. Or, as I've been forced to admit after talking to one, don't ask, just want to
be left alone now that he has what he wants. But that still leaves families without -their-
loved ones and friends and those people with their dreams and aspirations all simply -
poof- gone to please their 'master.' I can't let that happen."
"And by default," Felicity asked hesitantly, "Something similar would happen with the lead
male of a pride of lions?"
"By default. Yes, likely. Though it won't likely have the same 'Master and slave' mentality
the wolves have. So it might become like a commune or family, leaving everyone with their
hopes and dreams, but again, that's a nasty -if-."
"...." The couple looked at each other scared. They then looked at Madam Serenity.
"Madam..." Brian said sounding unsure himself, "Could you please write down some notes
about what dangers the game in of itself has for us and come and see us for breakfast
tomorrow morning?"
Serenity considered asking for Mary to come with her overnight, but knew how that would
go. "... as you wish..."
Mary and Trevor exchanged looks and Trevor hoped over from his spot out of view into
Serenity's arms again, favoring his bandaged leg. Serenity didn't ask where he had been.
She stood up and of course saw Mary holding a plush husky as if it was her only friend in
the world. She said nothing. But she did provide the Hardys with some basic notes and
fundamentals of the game's more common loop holes.
Paul followed in silence, not looking or feeling all that triumphant in the least.
Mary ran back to her room the moment Madam Serenity, Paul and Trevor had closed the
door behind them, and stayed there until dinner. 'At least,' She had the demented thought,
'Since I'm a lion, that means I don't have to eat broccoli.'
+++++++
Alice and her sisters along with Martha returned with a small pile of various dresses left in
their room inside the mirror verse. But before they could even be introduced to the new
pups they were hoisted off Jensen to collected the gem wolves to make sure no disaster
had be fallen them. Thankfully, none had, and they all reported that there were no
unpleasant surprises waiting for them on the island.
Before anything else could come to pass, Kaylee got to have her fun and game again right
there IN THE LIVING ROOM this time. Her children behind her, wearing jewelry or small
faux roman campaign cloaks for the sheer theater of it (Bart felt stupid, Kevin felt like
Superman).
Beatrice dutifully threw her Alpha Female her custom marine helmet and swagger stick.
As a Beta, Julie was above needing to give this creed and merely stood to the side.
Lined up in two rows of sevens (Cobalt among them as a gem wolf herself now), they
stared at their Alpha Female smiling at her.
"Now!" Kaylee said smiling ear to ear, "Who do you serve? Who do you obey? Who do you -
love-?!"
they all said together cheerfully and honestly, "We serve the pack! We obey our Alphas! We
love Master Jensen The Big Bad Wolf!"
Kaylee put a hand on her hip and pointed their way with the stick, "What is your purpose in
life and creeds-!?"
"To service and please Master in all things, to protect Master and the pack from all that
would threaten us and him! To insure the estate remains a safe haven for the pack forever
and always! To dream of a Glendale where all wear wolf ears even if it remains but a
dream! And to never ever form labor unions!"
"Right turn!"
"About face!"
"Left turn!"
"UGH!" Said Garnet as she wondered if she had been cursed by something other than the
game with a face fully of metallic purple fur.
Kaylee smacked her own face, "Your other left Amethyst!"
"Oh forgive me Alpha Female!"
"About Face!" They did so without error or hesitation.
"Stand on one leg!" They did so, the smiles never leaving their faces and not in the least bit
forced as they happily obeyed their Alpha Female.
"Bow!" They did so.
"You are all part of the Big Bad Wolf Pack! Cobalt, show them all where they're to be
sleeping."
"Yes Alpha Female."
+++++++
In the office of the Glendale Police Chief, the phone rang twice before being picked by the
obvious resident.
"Hello?" Not many people had his office number.
"Hello boy," Said an old woman's voice on the other end, "Been a while."
The chief's eyes went up slightly, "Great-Uncle Scotts?"
"I always hated that nickname you know, boy."
"I know we're not related but you were like an uncle to dad."
"I remember. Gill, we need to talk."
"It's about the game isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Ever heard of leave well enough alone?" Chief Gill spoke solemnly, "The last police chief
who tried to do something about the game ended up a teapot. And it let a rather
unpleasant person become chief of the Glendale police for almost fifty years."
"Forty three years to be precise Gill."
"And when -you- chose to do something about it, you know what happened."
"And it took a 'while' to stop being sorry for myself and move on. But Gill Boy, this isn't
'Well Enough' that's going to leave anything or anyone alone, you know that, you've always
know that."
"Unc', we've had this discussion before."
"I know... And I don't mean to bring it up. And I do thank you for bringing people to me to
help them when you can't... "
"Anything knew with Frank and Daryl?"
"...Nothing good... they got Julie and her kids too..."
Gill felt a sick chill, "No."
The woman on the other end was anything but apathetic, "Yes. I'm sorry Gill, I tried and I
failed. But right now, I have the loving parents of a victim of the game who I think are
going to do something very noble but very stupid. And they can't do it alone."
Gill's eyebrows scrunched together, "What are you asking?"
"You want to stay away from the game? Fine. You're chief of police, it's your call. But I
know you have cops who don't feel the same way and they 'cause you trouble' every time a
victim turns up even when they sometimes help more than you and I do."
"And just as often end up part of Glendale art gallery."
"I know... I can't believe I'm suggesting this... if you have any police who don't turn a blind
to the game, and honestly want to help save Daryl and Frank and his family... can you have
them come by the follow address incognito tomorrow evening? Some very unpleasant
choices are going to be made."