“It says to go this way.”

“I don’t care what your stupid bloody machine says, this is the way back.”

“I trust my tech.”

“I trust my direction sense.”

Rocky and Rocco stood an arm’s length away from one another, looking very much like they were about to come to brotherly blows at any moment. Rocky was looking into his HUD but had one hand on his Extendo-Staff, in case the larger Titan decided to make a move. Rocco had his display on his monocle turned off at this point, tired of being constantly bombarded with adverts, but his fists at his sides were balled into dangerous weapons.

“We should take the direct route, and that would be through that plaza.” Rocco returned stubbornly.

“But if we go off here to the left, we can hit the automated walkway which will lead us right to the building. The route advisor is saying this is the quickest way.”

“The route advisor is an AI.” Rocco growled these words, some longstanding animosity hidden deep within them. “It’s never actually walked around a city at night, I have.” He pointed his big hand, extending a single finger. “And that’s the best way.”

“When they made Titans, I swear they said, we’re going to make it inversely proportional between size and brain power.” Rocky covered his forehead with his hand.

“Exactly.” Rocco returned.

“I don’t think you quite understand what I mean by that.”

“Sure, I do.” Rocco smiled cruelly. “The bigger the Titan, the bigger the brain. It’s ok little guy, you have talents too.”

Rocky shook his head and extended a hand of invitation in the direction towards the plaza. Rocco stood still for a moment, contemplating this gesture.

“Lead on Mister Brains. I’m damn sure not going to walk around these streets without you in front of me. Lots of shady characters about.”

“And you’re one of them.” Rocco chuckled.

“And you’re about twelve!”

Rocco snorted and started walking without another word. He led them through the once extravagant plaza, complete with fountains that used to spray patterns high into the air but was now like much of everything else in this city, well-used and in a state of disrepair. The dirty cobblestone pattern beneath them was worn out and missing chunks in areas. What used to be ornamental statues that lined the wall rimming the circular area were mostly crumbling and missing parts. Titans were still traveling through this area, and a good crowd for them to get lost in presented itself. They both nearly tripped over a cylindrical cleaning bot that scooted past on four wheels. It did not appear to be doing much good.

Rocco was still a head taller than a lot of the other Titans, all but the largest canids like the Wolfen and the larger Felids. He spotted a way through to the other side and negotiated their way through the maze of travelers. He stopped once when a large black vehicle drove past with the Zenith Corp logo etched on the side but then continued to the other side.

“Look, there’s Towerview.” Rocco pointed when they came through the plaza to the sidewalk on the other side.

“Adjusting route.” Came a voice in Rocky’s earpiece as his navigational system worked to keep up. “Recalculating.”

It was still planning a new route as they found a crosswalk and made it across the dangerous street. It glitched out and started showing him that he should go all the way back the way they came and go the long way around the plaza to come back here. Then it buffered for a minute before finally saying “Congratulations. You have arrived at your destination.”

Rocky sneered and pushed the button on his wrist gauntlet to turn off the route advisor. Rocco looked back once more, but did nothing else to rub it in. They instead walked up to the front doors and punched in the code.

“So, when you said earlier that you were thinking about joining this mad group of Titans, were you serious about all that?” Rocky took the opportunity to ask.

“Why not? Someone has to stand up to them.” Rocco replied. “I don’t think these scientists will be able to scrap when the time comes for it.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t think it’s a good idea to get involved. I mean, what do they even have to fight with?”

Rocco glanced at his brother and smiled. “Us.”

“Gonna take a hell of a lot more than us to fight Zenith Corp. Would take more than us just to fight one of the smaller corporations.”

They made their way through the lobby and towards the mag-lifts. Once the lift doors opened again, they found the room that they had left the scientists at a few hours ago. Rocco leaned against the door jamb and rapped on the door.

Halen opened the door and seemed a little surprised to see the brothers standing there. Had he expected them to have been gone much longer than they had been? Or knowing the usual forgetfulness of these scientist types, had he already forgotten them altogether? Lights seemed to go off behind his eyes and he hurried to usher them both inside, looking both ways through the hallway to see if anyone was watching.

“Hurry up you idiots before someone sees you out here.”

Halen rushed them into the secret back area of the hab, where Wolton and now two others sat around a holo-display, contemplating scientific things.

“They’re multiplying!” Rocco exclaimed, pointing at the new scientists.

“Yeesh. You leave them along for a couple of hours and come back to more than you started with. We better watch them more closely this time Roc, or we’re liable to have a whole city full of ‘em by the end of the week.” Rocky agreed.

Wolton and the other two, both diminutive Rodentia, one a brownish color and one plump and white, looked up excitedly at their unexpected guests.

“Great, you’re back!”

“Before you go including us in any of these schemes of yours.” Rocky held up a dismissive hand. “As soon as my brother gets back, we’re probably going to head on.”

“Such a shame, you just got here.” Wolton replied. “Let me at least fill you in on what we are doing here, and why it may be so important that you stay.”

“Is it a cheese machine?” Rocco crossed his big arms across his chest.

“Is what a cheese machine?”

“Whatever crazy science thing you’re working on here.” Rocco nodded his head towards the holo-display floating over the table.

“No, it most certainly is not a...” Wolton’s face scrunched up. “What do you mean a cheese machine? What do you think we are trying to create in here?”

“I dunno, maybe some robot machine that shoots cheese in your mouth.”

Rocky shook his head and sighed. “Dunderhead.” He muttered under his breath. “My brother is a right knob.”

“It’s as good a guess as any you bloody wagger. Why don’t you take a crack at it?” Rocco returned.

“Well I haven’t the foggiest idea either!” Rocky laughed. “But I doubt they are spending all this time and intellect trying to create a bloody cheese machine.”

Rocco just shrugged.

Halen, who was a Felid, turned his nose up at the very idea. He looked as though he may throw up from the very thought of it. Felids were, by nature carnivores and ate almost exclusively meat and were repulsed by other food sources. The other three Procyons and the Rodentia in the room were staunch Omnivores and would eat nearly anything they could fit into their mouths.

“No, it is not a robot cheese machine, my impenetrable friend, but we would very much appreciate if a trio of daredevils such as yourselves would test it once its finished.” One of the Rodentia scientists added.

Rocco turned towards Rocky, a look of confusion on his face. “Impenetrable. What is that?”

“It is the perfect word to describe you bro.” Rocky slapped his brother on the shoulder, who growled back at him fiercely. “It means tough. Really tough and strong.” He added quickly.

“This is something that could possibly give us an edge against our omnipresent adversary. With this, we can deploy specialists, whether military or otherwise, almost instantly anywhere they need to be. Saboteurs could get in and out quickly before anyone knew they were present.”

Rocky raised as eye at this description. “You make some kind of teleporter?”

Among his brothers, Rocky was not used to being looked down on, being the most tech-savvy and quite frankly, the most intellectual of the three. That is why the look that the scientist returned when he spoke caused him to feel instant embarrassment.

The Rodentia shook his head as if he were speaking with kits instead of adults. “Come. This way my friends, let me show you what we have here. Once you see the prints, I think you may change your mind about leaving so soon.”

* * * *

Ricky sighed as a large gathering of Titans began to surround them. They were mostly wearing matching jackets and vests, all with a red “V” symbol. Some had armbands and some had their fur grown out long and spiked into mohawks. They looked more like a gang from the wastelands or the wildlands of the planet, not a group of civilized inner-city Titans from Kallerish. He knew what they were though, they were gangers, and he knew that they were not approaching to ask if his group needed directions.

A good majority of this gang seemed to be Canids. Many of them began to whistle and cat-call Amiga as they noticed her walking in the group of unfamiliar Titans strolling through their hab-block. She did not seem concerned, and instead raised an eye at their approach.

“Are these wankers serious right now?” Amiga muttered to her companions.

“Trust me fellas.” Atani stepped forward with his usual cool charm. “This is one Foxen that you don’t want to get mixed up with. Is there something we can help you gentletitans with?”

A huge Wolfen stepped forward, Ricky pegged him as the obvious alpha immediately. On Titan, size and strength seemed to usually equal leadership abilities, and he was an alpha at first glance. The Wolfen sized them up and did not speak for several minutes.

“I think you fellas might be lost.” He growled in a gravelly voice and a faraway accent. “Why don’tcha scram and leave the female?”

“Look guys, we’re just passing through.” Atani replied, which was the truth. They had made it through the spacewalk and were just trying to get through to the elevator now. The elevator that was on the other side of this group of thugs. “We just need to get to the lifts, and we’ll be on our way.”

“Elevators don’t work without payin’ the tax.”

“I assure you good sir, we pay our taxes to the corporations and thoroughly…”

“Not to the corporations.” The gruff Wolfen in a sleeveless vest growled, cutting the smaller Foxen off. “To me.”

“And who might you be?” Jardan asked, but immediately regretted it when the Wolfen turned his fierce gaze in his direction. “Didn’t mean to offend, we simply come from a different AstroBloc.” He quickly spoke and backed away at the same time.

“Segundo.” Came the growling reply from the Wolfen. His face and bare arms bore the scars from many alpha fights where other Titans had tested him in the past. And lost no doubt.

“Boss Segundo.” One of the other gangers, a rowdy and mottled looking ratling stepped forward with a sneer that looked like he would just as soon kill these travelers as negotiate with them. “He’s the Overlord of the Voodoo Kings.”

“Ah yes, I have heard of you fearsome chaps.” Atani replied. “You fellas control several of the AstroBlocs if I’m not mistaken.” He was now moving backwards. He had wanted to get out of this situation without it devolving into anything violent and attention grabbing, but that information gave him little hope in that particular outcome happening today.

“How much is your tax?” Jardan asked warily.

“Everything you got. Including that nice M1 Axiom.” The little Rodentia eyed Ricky’s sidearm covetously.

Ricky stared at the leader, his eyes burning with anger. He remembered guys like this back on Gunrock who would bully his younger brothers when they were still kits. He stood up to them then and he would stand up to them now. Even though it was the way of Titan, Ricky did not believe it was right or proper when those with more power and resources bullied around those with less.

“You.” Ricky pointed his finger at Segundo’s scarred face. “You fight me. I win, you let us through, and I won’t claim alpha rights on you.”

The Wolfen’s eyes blazed dangerously at the much smaller Procyon. Procyons were known as survivors, intelligent and resourceful, but were not best known for being fighters. When one of them challenged a Wolfen it either meant he was crazy or stupid.

“And when I win?” His deep growl inquired.

“Then you get all my stuff anyway I guess, ‘cause the only way an asteroid kissing git like you is beating me is if I’m dead.”

“Ricky.” Amiga shook her head. “I’ll fight him, back down.”

“You stand right where you are.” Ricky pointed a commanding finger towards her, in such a fierce tone that drew her ears back. “Don’t get involved.”

Ricky took off his vest and shirt and flung them aside. The Wolfen took a step forward, eyeing this strange Procyon cautiously. There were not many Titans that would dare challenge him, especially not any of the non-predatory Titan races. He had faced many challenges from other Canids, a few from Felids, but so far, none from the smaller races.

Ricky twisted in place, stretching his muscles, and then bobbed up and down a few times to get the blood flowing. He then assumed a fighting stance and looked up at the mammoth of a Titan before him.

“Flippin ‘ell you’re big.” He muttered.

Ricky went for the sucker punch with no further pretense, but the experienced alley fighter gang leader saw through it. He calmly stepped away, letting the punch arc through the air in front of him, then swatted the little Procyon away with a casual backhand.

“Ricky! He’s got cybernetics!” Atani cried out, recognizing the tell-tale surgery marks. They were not the full robotic limbs, they were the internal bionic ones, surrounded by a skin and fur graft to look natural.

“Right, I see that Canid-breath.” Ricky stood and wiped a line of blood from his mouth on the back of his hand.

The huge Wolfen turned to look at the little Procyon who had defied his attack and was now standing to face him.

“We aren’t finished yet mutt.” Ricky said, once more adopting a fighting stance.

Segundo did not look amused. He came forward for an attack. Ricky was too fast and ducking under a lazy swing, unleashed a lighting fast chain of punches to the Wolfen’s midsection. Segundo barely noticed, he began swinging for the fences, looking for a knockout blow. Ricky had been a streetfighter back in Gunrock too, and with his naturally quick Procyon frame, knew how to avoid taking a hit.

This strange dance lasted for several minutes, with the Wolfen missing every attack he launched at Ricky, only to be punished each time by a retaliatory combination of four or five hits. He knew he had to be fast, had to be spry, because any one of those massive swings might have laid him out for good, even without cybernetics powering that predatory frame.

Just when the Wolfen ganger seemed to be getting used to Ricky’s rhythm, the clever Procyon switched it up, goading the big guy into attack him and threw a kick to his leg instead. The Wolfen snarled and began snapping his massive jaws. Wolfen were strong, but they were fast and agile too, and supposedly known for their legendary endurance. Ricky decided to put that legend to the test. Hopefully without getting bit by those sharp teeth in the process.

He continued dancing around, and Segundo kept getting angrier as time passed. Ricky had kicked the muscled legs of the creature over a dozen times by now, and his own legs were throbbing as though he had been kicking a tree trunk. He managed one good punch to the Wolfen’s head, and he felt his hand and wrist go numb immediately. Something had broken, and it would not be long before that hand was useless.

In the meantime, Segundo looked no worse for the wear. After a good six minutes of this deadly boxing chess match, the Canid was not even breathing hard. Ricky, on the other hand, had been throwing six blows for every one his opponent threw, and was suddenly feeling the fatigue. He grew sloppy and the grizzled Canid caught him with a sneaky knee to the gut. It blasted all the air from his lungs and paralyzed him momentarily. A moment was all his adversary needed.

Segundo grabbed Ricky and threw a punch that landed square in the nose. Since all Titans’ noses were extremely sensitive, it was the worst place to get hit. Tears welled in his eyes and an explosion of pain shot through his entire sensory system. He tasted pain and blood and his vision blurred. Segundo lifted him easily and slammed him to the ground a few times before tossing him across the hall.

Ricky skidded to a halt, tumbling end over end, and for a very real moment, he was not quite sure if he was alive or dead. He shook it off and when his vision began to come back, he looked around. Several of the gangers were already cheering their fearsome boss’s victory. Segundo had turned to look at Ricky’s companions. When one of the gangers alerted him that his opponent was not quite dead yet, Segundo turned with a snarl in Ricky’s direction. Ricky half vomited and half spat more blood than looked healthy to be coming up from somewhere inside him. It made him angry.

Ricky kipped back to his feet, and nearly swooned from the sudden motion. There was probably a concussion inside his head, he knew he was not thinking clearly at this point. Everything in his surrounding seemed like it was floating gently underwater. The sound of a female’s voice centered him back to reality.

“Stay down Gunrockian! He’s gonna kill you! Just let me handle this.”

“No!” Ricky yelled back. “Stay out of this!”

“He had a bigger brother when we met him the first time, remember?” Atani remarked to Amiga in a lowered tone. “He probably would’ve fared better against this brute.”

“Maybe. I don’t think it’s a fair fight either way. If that monster gets his teeth on him, that Gunrockian is a goner.”

“Send him my way.” Segundo smirked, his long sensitive ears catching the hushed discussion. “When I’m done with baby brother here, I’ll make time for ‘is brother too.”

Getting his teeth on Ricky is exactly what the Canid seemed to have on his mind as he approached growling, the folds on either side of his maw were curled into a ferocious snarl. Ricky glared at him as he approached. When Segundo got within range, he let loose an aggressive bark and lunged. Ricky tracked the lighting fast snapping jaws and dodged aside.

Ricky reared back and soccer-kicked the monster between the legs. The snapping ceased, and a whine came from the jaws instead. Ricky saw an opening and pounced. With his still good hand he made a fist and struck the Canid in his long nose, throwing his whole relatively small body into the blow. Segundo seemed dazed and started clawing wildly in the air. Ricky got clipped in his face, the sharp claws leaving deep bloody scratches as he moved in and leaped on the big Titan’s back.

A Procyon’s jaws were not a fraction as deadly as a Wolfen’s but did exist. He sank his own jaws into the gang leader’s neck, going for the kill. Segundo shuddered under him from the combo of trauma he had received and was sluggish to respond. With a howl of rage, he reached back and grabbed Ricky by the nape of his neck and ripped him off. Ricky came away spitting a mouthful of blood and fur.

Segundo slammed a headbutt into Ricky that caused him to lose consciousness briefly. Once again it was the shriek of a female that brought him back.

“Ricky!” Amiga cried. Not Gunrockian, she had called him by his name.

The iron hands of the Wolfen were around his throat, and Ricky could not draw breath, and simply didn’t have the strength to pry them apart either. Segundo continued to squeeze, and Ricky knew this fight would end within the next few minutes one way or another. His spine popped from the sheer force of the hands around it. Face to face with the hot carnivore breath upon his face, Ricky reached up with his first two fingers and before the Wolfen could react, plunged them into his eye socket and hooked beneath his eye. Then, with one quick flick, he ended the fight, pulling the eye out of its socket.

Segundo screamed and released the Procyon, holding his dangling eye with both hands. It must have been a disorienting thing to have one’s vision suddenly dangling and spinning. Ricky then gathered the last bit of energy he had and kicked the distracted monster in the groin again. They both fell to the ground at the same time, one unconscious, one screaming like a pup.