Shaggy, Dave, and Slink rushed back to the Viper’s Den with their stolen prize. Shaggy wasn’t sure if the old cyberspook would care that much. But he knew it would be better if they got the biological samples from Duke analyzed quickly. Once back in Legion territory, a few Lackeys spotted them and their haste, but said nothing and didn’t get in their way. Shaggy saw a few signs of fights taking place in the streets. The Lackeys looked a little beat up here and there, but they were mostly in one piece.

  Once they made it to the square outside of The Den, they encountered a greater number of people. NPCs were crisscrossing the square in every direction. Some heading to the bar, while others were milling around the storefronts that made up the rest of the square. Shaggy spotted more Lackeys patrolling the area, and he gave them a nod of acknowledgment before he and the others burst through the Den’s front doors.

  Their entrance drew a few eyes, but most people knew enough to go about their business. Those that didn’t were quickly corrected by their friends or the few bouncers that were wandering the bar. Slink cradled the plastic bag holding Duke’s sample to his chest and shot straight for the back of the room. Just behind the stage was a hallway which held the door to the Legion’s infirmary, or at least, that’s where it used to be. But now, Slink was leading them downstairs to the basement.

  Shaggy followed as Dave brought up the rear, closing the door to the basement and locking it loudly. Once below ground, the Legion’s proper headquarters was in full swing. Crisscrossing dirt and metal hallways were everywhere and tough-looking thugs littered the halls. Some were on their way to their next job, while others were just loitering. Shaggy saw Slink give a few lazy aliens a kick as he hurried by. The boy grumbled something about them being docked pay if they weren’t going to work. The two alien thugs shot Slink dirty looks, but got to their feet and rushed off.

  Slink seemed to know where he was going as they zigzagged their way through the interconnected hallways. When they came upon a hallway full of bruised and injured people, the teen slowed to a stop and scowled.

  “Didn’t we build a waiting room so this shit won’t happen?”

  “And how did they all get injured?” Shaggy added.

  Dave immediately walked up to the line of injured people and started asking questions. Shaggy and Slink didn’t wait around and they pushed past everyone standing in the hall. A few idiots tried to say something, but Shaggy quickly shut them down with a growl or a swift punch to the sternum. When they finally made it to the door, Dave had caught up with them and he was grinning like a madman.

  “Dudes! Apparently we had a proper dustup with the Raks.”

  “Shit!” Slink grumbled. “What happened?”

  “A turf dispute on our southern border blew up into a gang fight that lasted twenty minutes. Vlad and his vamps put a stop to things though, and no turf changed hands. Now the pale dude is off to another Big Five Meeting to discuss the incursion. These are the unlucky Lackeys who got thrashed.”

  Shaggy glared around at the filled hallway and snorted. There had to be at least thirty thugs crammed into the hallway. Either the Raks had thrown a substantial force at them or their people were ill-equipped to deal with the bastards. Dave also seemed to spot the same issue and was about to move to do something when Slink gripped his arm.

  “Not right now, Dave. We need to figure out how we lost this badly, but not now. Once we pass of these samples to Lia and Cula, you can investigate that. Also, I want you, Shaggy, to take a team into Rak turf and respond.”

  Shaggy raised an eyebrow at the little warmonger. “Uhh, Isn’t Vlad going to a meeting about this right now? Why can’t he handle it?”

  Slink rolled his eyes. “Vlad doesn’t realize that these thugs operate on kindergarten rules. If someone hits you, you hit back. If you don’t, that’s pretty much carte blanche for them to keep hitting you. Vlad thinks he can negotiate and decree his way around these idiots. Ren and I see it a differently.”

  “So get Ren to raid the Raks.”

  “I have plans for Ren and Dave too, but for now, I think it should be you. You got out, hit them fast and hard. Then you sneak back off to your part of the city. If we do it quick enough, the Raks won’t know what hit them and you’ll be gone before anyone can kick up a fuss.”

  “What’s the point of that?” Shaggy asked in confusion.

  Dave cackled as he hit Shaggy on the shoulder. “You’re the secret wolf, dude! I smell what the kid’s putting down. You’ve disappeared from Under-Town almost completely. If you show up, wreck some Raks, and then disappear again, that will confuse a lot of people.”

  Slink tapped his nose in confirmation as he put a hand on the infirmary doorknob. The injured Lackey at the front of the line looked like he wanted to say something. But one look from Shaggy and Dave and the idiot kept quiet. Slink pushed his way into the room followed by Shaggy and then Dave bringing up the rear. Once inside, the sounds of painful moaning and groaning filled Shaggy’s ears.

  The walls of the room were lined with crappy beds filled with whining Lackeys. A frazzled-looking woman with black curly hair was rushing from bed to bed placing her hands on her patients. By her side was a pale young man with slicked back black hair and a scowl on his face. The boy was taking notes as the woman rattled off various injuries and healing measure. The woman brushed a strand of hair from her face as she looked up from her patient to the door. Spotting them, she scowled and hurried over.

  She was shouting before she even made it to them as Slink tried to present Duke’s blood and tissue sample.

  “Mr. Slink! I cannot work under these conditions! My lab is always full of patients and I don’t have enough time for my work. I demand that you find me more employees!”

  “Couple of things, Lia. One, you don’t make demands of your employer. Two, you are the one in charge of the medical wing. So if anyone is going to hire more people, it’s going to be you. And three, your job is to heal our injured. That’s what you were hired for, and that’s your primary job. Once everyone is fully healed, you can go back to your… experiments.”

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  Lia’s tanned face grew red from embarrassment as Slink broke her down. Once he was done, the woman had calmed down and seemed to understand her position. Especially with Shaggy growling at her like he was. Her nurse put his smaller body in front of Lia and glared at Shaggy, but Lia smacked the young man in the head.

  “Drake, don’t test the bosses. That was rude of me and I apologize. We’ve just been hit hard today and there is no end in sight.”

  Slink nodded. “I understand. But you are the one in control here, Lia. We trust you, so if you need more staff, then do what you need to do. If we have questions, we’ll ask. I promise.”

  The woman ran a hand through her curly hair as she blew out a breath. “I don’t even know where to begin recruiting, though.”

  “Um, I do, Doctor Tyhmes. A few of the people I play cards with have expressed interest in working as nurses. A few even have healing abilities. I told you about them last time.”

  “You did? Hmm, right. Well, then, Drake, why don’t you go assemble your friends and I’ll see what the bosses want, okay?”

  The young man shot Slink, Dave and Shaggy a dirty look before he rushed out of the room. Shaggy snorted as a new scent hit his nostrils. Surprisingly, he didn’t need long to identify this one. It was jealousy, and the boy reeked of it.

  “You’ve got a fan,” Shaggy stated as Lia finally spotted the bag Slink was carrying.

  The doctor’s eyes were locked on the bag in confusion as she absently answered Shaggy.

  “Who? Huh? Oh! Drake? Yes, the boy has a slight infatuation with me, but I imagine it will pass soon enough. Now what is this?”

  She reached for the bag and Slink drew it back protectively. Looking around, Slink whispered.

  “Is there a more private place to discuss this? I trust our people, but the fewer people that know about this, the better.”

  Lia grimaced as she looked around her full room, but lead them to the far wall. Alongside the wall was a waist-high counter full of medical equipment and cabinets. A few beds had been shoved up next to the counter. Their occupants knocked out and wrapped in their blankets. Shaggy gave the beds a look before he glanced at Slink. The boy waved a hand and shook his head, but Shaggy wasn’t that sure.

  Clearing his throat, Shaggy spoke out loud. “If anyone happened to be awake and fully healed. It would behoove them to get off their ass and get the fuck out before I finish this sentence.”

  The words had just left his mouth as the Lackey on the right-hand side leapt out of his bed and hurried toward the door. The one on the left side remained in placed and Shaggy was sure was actually asleep.

  Grinning at Dave and Slink’s looks, Shaggy shrugged. “Some Lackeys are just nosy.”

  “How did you know he was awake?”

  “I didn’t. I just assumed.”

  “Should we move the other one in case he’s just brave?” Dave asked.

  “No.” Slink shook his head. “This way, if something gets out, we’ll all know it was him and he’ll be dealt with. None of what we’re about to discuss is to go beyond the Legion’s top officers and your medical staff. Is that understood, Doctor Tyhmes?”

  Lia looked a little pale after Slink stopped talking, but nodded all the same. Her eyes were still on the bag held in Slink’s arms. Casting his eyes over the sleeping Lackey one last time, Slink started to explain about the bag’s contents. Lia tried to interrupt several times, but the young boy stopped her and made her wait until he was finished. Once the short story was told, he held out the bag for the woman’s perusal.

  Shaggy noted that Lia seemed less interested in the bag now and more put-out that Slink wouldn’t answer her questions.

  “Biological enhancements aren’t new. A lot of Mutants and Aliens use them to get an edge every now and then.”

  “Sure, but how many enhancements can take a mundane music teacher and turn him into an A-Tier powerhouse?”

  Lia’s eyes bulged out of her skull at Shaggy’s words. Lia dragged the plastic bag up to her face and glared at the bloody glass and bits of skin. Then she glanced between them all again, looking for any hint of a lie. Not finding any, she stared back at the bag again.

  “That’s impossible.” She said simply.

  “And yet, I have it on good authority that is what happened. Now, can you do anything with these samples or not?”

  Lia glanced up at Shaggy, the color slowly returning to her face. “Not with the equipment I have her. I’ll need to run several tests over a long period. But…”

  She looked around the room again at her patients and Shaggy snorted. Slink waved away the concern as he stepped closer to the doctor.

  “Doctor Tyhmes, I shouldn’t have to explain to you the magnitude of this. I want you to make this your number one priority from now on. Hire more staff and get your own office under control first. Once that’s done, we’ll get you want you need.”

  Slink cast an eye over the long rectangular room before he seemed to come to a decision. “I’ll also get a team down here to expand things out. I imagine you’ll want to work in private, correct?”

  Lia was back to staring at Duke’s samples again before she nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, if this is what you say it is, we’ll have to be very careful. I’ll want added protection for my staff and myself.”

  “You’ll have it.”

  “And… and a suite on the third floor!”

  Shaggy blinked as the woman rushed out the last sentence like she was afraid to speak it. Once it was out, though, Shaggy saw how Lia straightened her spine and made eye contact with all three of them. Shaggy covered his mouth to mask a snort as Dave outright laughed. He spotted Slink rolling his eyes as the boy nodded.

  “Fine. Get with Petra and she’ll get you squared away. If there’s any issue come to me. But for now, hide that sample and guard it with your life.”

  Lia nodded as she went back to looking at the bag. Shaggy and the others waited a beat, but it was clear the woman was busy, so they turned at the same time and made for the infirmary’s door. As they walked, Slink gave Dave more instructions.

  “Get your best people on this, Dave. I want the room protected as well as the hallway leading here. After that, get with Ren’s team and find out what Lia needs. We need this room up to snuff quickly and with little expense.”

  “So we’re stealing things?”

  “Yes, Dave, you’re stealing things.”

  “Cool, hehe!”

  “Shaggy, grab some Lackeys and head out. Don’t go too deep into Rak turf, just brush the border like they did. But hit them harder and leave a message if you can.”

  “Why don’t I just go get my pack, Slink? We can run roughshod over those Rak clowns all day.”

  “That’s precisely why I don’t want you to grab your Pack, Shaggy. This needs to be an Under-Town victory lead by the Under-Town Lackeys. You are there as a force-multiplier.”

  “Fine, whatever. But after this I’m heading home. I have my own little kingdom to grow.”

  Slink stopped them as they got to the end of the hall and stared at Shaggy. Something in his words set the kid’s brain to whirring as Shaggy could tell the kid was thinking. Once he had mulled over whatever it was, Slink nodded.

  “That might be a good idea for Vlad.”

  “What? Send him to my neck of the woods?”

  “No. We should give him his own neck to bite. I’ll discuss it with him when he gets back.”

  “Isn’t he, like, going to be pissed when he gets back? I mean, he is off discussing the Rak’s incursion with the other members of the Big Five. When word gets out that we hit back, Vlad is going to be caught flat-footed.”

  Slink sniffed. “Well, that will teach him to rush off to a meeting without telling us.”

  “Didn’t you do the same thing with me and Duke?” Shaggy asked.

  Slink grew pink in the cheeks and said nothing. Instead, he waved them both away and hurried down a tunnel. Shaggy and Dave shared a laugh before Dave started down a completely different tunnel. Shaggy glanced around at the four-way intersection they had stopped in and paled.

  “Yo! Dave! Wait up! I don’t know where the fuck I’m going!”