"...answer my question."

I stood for another second, my mind whirring. I could run, but the monsters in suits would shoot me in the back. If I attacked, I'm sure they have a  better style of fighting than I do.

I might as well...chat. The only way I can at the moment. I adjusted my glasses and raised my hands.

I began to sign, 'I'm alive because of-'

A couple hammers of the hand guns clicked back fully at my rapid hand motions, but Fadelle raised his furry hand...paw... to stop them, his eyes narrowing and his furry brows furrowed.

Another beat of silence. It felt like forever, it was so tense in the room. A clock ticked, the only noise in the room.

"You speak in hands?"

Lowering my hands, I silently nod. Fadelle had a flicker in his eye I couldn't quite catch, and it had me wondering if I imagined it.

Fadelle made a hand motion, and the suits had confusedly followed the order to lower their guns. I was just as confused.

The rabbit Boss walked around his desk and strode to me casually, taking my smaller hand in his and shaking firmly. I gave an equal firmness, despite not knowing what the hell just happened.

"We've been expecting you...it certainly took you awhile to arrive. Looks like Junction Dread is still rolling."

I raised a brow and tried to sign, but Fadelle stopped me.

"There's no need to explain, Dr. Reid. Forgive me for the first impression, we didn't recognize you. Come with me, there's important business that needs our attention."

Doctor....Reid? What the hell, I'm a doctor now? Since when? I don't even know these monsters!

Fadelle turned to a suit, ordering, "I'll need you to get his coat from the back. To assure his safety, get him the hat too."

The suit he addressed, a hound monster, nodded in response and walked passed me into the hall.

What.

I signed that question. Fadelle smiled, seeming to understand.

"This is to make sure the other family doesn't notice you."

'Other family?'

"The Drea Family. They need you, but we need you most. Please allow me to welcome you back with a drink."

I awkwardly smiled and signed, 'I'm not much of a drinker.'

He paused, raising a brow, "you a lightweight?"

'I just don't drink,' I quickly added, 'gets in the way of work.'

Fadelle made an 'ah' type noise of understanding and poured one for himself. The other suits stood in silence.

The hound monster brought up a black pile, with an old style black fedora on it. He brought it up to me and lifted it a little, as if it was a gesture to take it. Hesitantly, I took the hat and the coat. It was a long coat, but it wasn't near as heavy as a trenchcoat would be.

I turned to Fadelle, who nodded his head to the coat saying, "It's yours now. Don't bother returning it to me."

Turning back and inspecting the coat, I put it on. It was a half an inch longer on the sleeves than my wrists and a little tight on the waist, but it fit nicely. Before putting on the hat, I realized that I was getting into some deep shit. Really deep shit.

The Royal Scientist's assistants, as far as I'm aware, have all dissapeared. Only a couple knew, and one was Sans, since he had a brother in the sciences. Apparently it didn't reach the Underground Underworld.

I shrugged it off.

Maybe I could learn some handy information out of this. Gotta tread carefully, though.

"I assume you're well informed on what's going on. About the funding, yes?"

I shook my head, and he raised a brow.

To recover, I signed calmly, 'it's been awhile since I looked at the files or heard any updates.'

"I see. I guess we both need a refresher, hm? I'm rusty on the details as well."

Waiting for him to continue, I shifted my hands to my back again and clasped them. He shuffled his papers on his desk. I watched the papers as he explained.

"Determination to power. That was the goal. As any Family needs, we need a back up plan for keeping...others in line. We devised a plan to crush any major rebellion against our rule of the Underground Underworld."

Fadelle met Reid's eye again, and Reid nodded to show that he was listening.

Why won't my hands stop shaking?

"You're boss suggested that we could have a section of the power supplies extras if we funded for it. The ability to have determination, as strong as humans themselves. We'd be unstoppable."

I could see why they'd want something like that.

"You were probably sent to come and settle some...disputes with the other Family, using the determination as a scare tactic...an' the scientist even sent a human collegue. Very fitting. You even share a similar taste in fashion like the former scientist. I'm surprised he didn't kill you on sight."

I raised a brow and frowned, not knowing who the former Royal Scientist was, or why he'd do that.

Fadelle smiled and chuckled a little, "It was a lil' joke, Doctor."

I only craned my head a little to acknowledge it with a faint smile.

"Alright, we should probably get going."

Fladell turned to the silent monsters in suits.

"Three of ya, go on ahead an' make sure none of the Drea are outside watchin'. The rest of ya can shadow behind or walk with me an' Doc here. I'm going to grab my coat."

Fadelle left the room, and a couple suits followed.

In the back of my mind I thought about how I looked. Bandages on my face didn't look all that good, and it didn't exactly need bandages anymore anyway. At this point it was just to cover it and not scare the crap out of somebody. If this was a scare tactic I was getting into, maybe something more intimidating would look better.

Why does this matter, I thought to myself. But I thought, why not?

I turned to one of the suits and signed if he could find an eyepatch or something for me. He, seeming to be a fox, nodded without a word. Seeming to understand, and walked down the hall. With that, I took a deep breath and removed the medical bandaging around my head.

Looking in a frames glass reflection, I could see the horrible scarring around my eye, and the emptiness that once was the other half of my vision. Clenching my fist, I forced the urge to vomit down. I struggled with the memory of when I had kindly received from my deranged parent. Blinking, I realized I was glaring at the picture frame. Sighing, I relaxed my expression, feeling the air drain of a little tension. Flickering my gaze, I also realized the suits in the room with me must've thought I was glaring at the picture of Fadelle and a...turtle?

I took into account that some of the scar tissue would be visible with an eyepatch on. Shrugging, seeing as the other monster was getting the eyepatch already, decided it was fine that way.

The fox monster returned shortly with and black eyepatch in hand. I nodded thanks and threw the old bandages in the trash. The fox then stepped behind me, and it confused me for a second, but I saw the eyepatch come around my head and land perfectly in place. I realized that the monster was tying it for me. I held the patch in a comfortable position as he tied it in place.

When he was finished, he stepped away.

'You didn't have to do that,' I signed.

"It's my duty. You're a collegue of Fadelle."

After a moment, I signed, 'you're my collegue as well, I'm not at all higher than you position wise.'

The monster looked confused, speaking up, "I don't understand, sir."

I explained, 'Everyone I work with I have and will continue to view as equals. It's easier for me, and I believe easier for everyone as well.'

"Coming, doc?" Fadelle's voice came from the hall interrupting the foxes response.

The fox answered for me, "just finishing up," then turned to me, "Let's go. Best not keep him waiting."

I nodded and placed the fedora on my head. The fox, the rest of the suits and I walked out of the office. The coat flapped a little after me, creating a tinge of the feeling of badass.

Fadelle nodded to me, commenting on my patch, then turned to leave. I walked out right after him, saying nothing in response.

-------------------

Walking down the streets with Fadelle was like living a very strange dream. It was like walking next to a guy that walked so casually but had so much power it radiated off of him in waves. I matched his stride and walked like I was ordered to kill Captian America, the most straight expression I could manage and put my hands in my pockets. Monsters quickly parted for us.

It was...strange, yet empowering.

"You get out often, Doctor?"

Pulling out my hands I replied subtly, 'Not much. Haven't been in the loop.'

Thinking quick, I added, 'I was focused on the details of human history, to see if there would be anything that would help me understand characteristics and development of human minds. It's quite fascinating.'

What a load of shit.

"I see. Then you must not know about the fallen human that appeared not too long ago."

I paused my train of thought and answered, 'I haven't.'

"Another human has appeared, said to have fallen a couple of hours ago. There are rumors that the human has the main characteristic Determination."

I perked up at that. Another human?

Fadelle laughed, "Eager to continue your expiriments? I would be as well, seeing as your boss is a little...closed off. She hasn't been taking any of our calls ever since she started taking in fallen monsters."

He took my excitement the wrong way.

I took this new information in carefully. Why would Alphys cut a very powerful organization off so suddenly? A good source of money and protection no less?

Something must've gone wrong. From her eyes behind her glasses, her shaky hands, her unsure voice, the pin of an anime character on her coat, her comment from before she opened the door, the state of the lab I saw over her shoulder, I can probably guess how she is.

I sign in reply, 'She has been a little disorderly as of recently. I can almost conclude that she had fallen into a state of depression.'

"Almost?" Fadelle raised a furry eyebrow.

I smiled faintly, 'she's rather fond of watching what she calls "anime". It's probably the only thing that's allowing her to not be suckered into utter depression.'

"Hm. Do you watch this 'anime'?"

'No, thankfully. It's really just a time waster with an exaggerated world of non-science based battle that cannot exist in the real world. Plus, it's just cringy.'

"I can see. You don't look the type to watch anime."

I do, it's just not something you admit to what looks like a mafia boss.

"Want a bite to eat? We're about to pass a real good joint that has good fried snail," Fadelle jutted his chin to a more expensive looking building. Now that I thought about it, my stomach ached a little from not eating in awhile.

I nodded in an 'okay, that's fine,' fashion and Fadelle led the way inside.

The wave of grease smell and smoke as we walked in told me it was a bar. The monsters who sat in the clean booths, hunched at the counter, or laughing with other drunkards that I saw told me it was frequently visited by a number of people, if I couldn't tell how the bar was financially doing.

I watched Fadelle spot someone in the semi crowded bar.

"Ay, Gérard! How ya doin on this fine late night?"

My eyes traveled to a monster of an elegant looking species behind the counter I've never seen before. Three curled and frayed antennas sprouted out of a scaled head with large snow colored eyes almost dominating the entire face. A large smile extended as he saw Fadelle.

"Not much different then all other days! Howza'bout you?" He answered strongly.

"Very well, thank you. A collegue of mine finally arrived to join us as a peacemaker."

My ears perked up at that and Fadelle turned to me. His furry hand gestured to the three antennae creature.

"Doctor Reid, this is Gérard, one of the liason of our small little family. Gérard, this is Doctor Reid, our sciences major from Hotland."

I extended my hand and Gérard took it, shaking a little weaker than I expected, nodding to Gérard politely with a small smile. Gérard smiled back, though I could tell he was a little nervous.

"I like this fella! Polite and terrifying. Perfect combination for the job. An'...human too?"

I nodded silently. I felt a couple of pairs of eyes on my back, knowing some overheard the conversation.

"You don't talk much, do ya Doctor?"

"He speaks in hands, my good friend," Fadelle sat at a stool comfortably, leaning his elbows on the counter.

Gérard made an 'oh, duh' expression, "Ah, I see! Truly a rarity these days."

Fadelle ordered a snail sauté with a margarita, and Gérard duly took note on a notepad. When the strange looking monster asked me what I wanted, and the fox in a suit that helped me earlier translated for me that I wanted a burger with spider cider off the menu.

"You don't want a hardy drink?" Gérard looked confused.

"He doesn't drink, sir. Bad for work," The fox quickly explained. Gérard nodded, understanding.

"A stickler for the job occupation, eh? You need to relax with a drink sometimes, Doc. Relieves stress!"

'It's also a good way to aquire liver cancer along with a unpleasant hangover.'

"It's also a good way to get liver cancer and an unpleasant hangover," The fox translated for me. Gérard looked utterly confused for a second, then laughed.

"Oh, I see! Must be a human thing."

Gérard left to go to the back while I sat down on a stool next to Fadelle. The mafia boss got into a conversation with the fox. I spaced out until a hand extended into the corner of my view and set down something next to me. I looked and saw it was a piece of folded paper.

Shooting my glance around, the monster that did it melted into the crowd. A little curious, I took it and opened it carefully. Ice flooded my veins.

Meet at back alley of the bar in the next two minutes.

That wasn't what scared me.

Come, or the bunny child dies.

We won't wait for you.