Workplace relations By Michael Barnes

Chris Foxx is owned and copyrighted © by Chris Yost. Amy Squirrel and Sabrina are copyrighted © to Eric W.Schwartz. James Sheppard is copyrighted © to James Bruner Michael Taillong and Eric Taillong are owned by me. Anthony Maximillion is copyrighted to his player Anthony Lanuza.

This story has nothing to do with events in the Sabrina Online comic strip or those in The ZigZag story or Sabrina the story. Though some chapters or parts of it may seem that way. This is a work of fiction and I in no way have taken these characters without permission. Please note this story is a work of fiction and any resemblance to anyone living or dead (without permission) is just a coincidence

Chapter 2

Past Lives

Michael cooked his breakfast as his brother Eric slept. "Poor guy\x85 Suffering like that over something he might not have done" Michael shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and left the house with a paperplate that had his breakfast on it. Sitting on the porch Michael began to eat. "Michael where's mine?" Eric stumbled out of the house and then fell but Michael was there in an instant to catch him. "Brother you normally sleep all day what is up with you?" Eric reached for his cane and Michael pushed it into his hand.

"Thank you" "Welcome" Eric sat on his favorite chair outside and sobs came from him suddenly. "Eric what is it? You're crying... You haven't done that since that day... Years ago\x85 Well at least not in front of me" Eric looked at Michael. "I have cried more than you know\x85 Erica I miss her with all my heart yet you don't know how I suffer each time I close my eyes or feel my face with my paws. I see and feel her\x85." Michael stopped eating completely.

"You still didn\x92t tell me what happened at the hospital when we found you in her room alone\x85 We know she was grabbed but by who?" Eric takes a breath. "I shall tell you what happened then get some sleep but as with any story the beginning is the best place to start\x85 Not the middle not the end but the beginning"

Summer 1997

Eric raced along a dirt road on his family estate. "Woo hoo!" Revving up his dirt bike Eric sped past tree after tree. Slowing when he came to a turn on the trail. Eric accelerated out of it and ended up flipping off of his bike. "Ahhhh" Eric landed on his hands then rolled forward. Eric stood quickly hearing clapping he turned around. "Nice I always thought cats landed on there feet" Eric rolled his eyes at his sister Erica.

"You\x92re a cat yourself and you didn\x92t know?" "Your not funny Mike" Eric looked behind him at his older brother who was looking at the dirtbike. "Michael how is the bike?" Michael pulled up on the handlebars and they came off. "Mom is going to kill you" "Nah I paid for it" Erica walked over to Eric. "With her credit card" "I left that part out for a reason\x85 Besides we should look for the rear tire of this thing and then cart it home"

Looking around Eric spotted the tire and a barrel with radiation markings on it. "Um guys remember a while back when we saw that plane drop something over our grounds?" Erica walks over to where her brother is. "Yes and?" "I think that\x92s it and what's more its\x85" Michael looked over his siblings shoulders. "Cracked\x85." The children looked over their clothing and found nothing but mud.

"You think you got any on you Eric?" "No Mike but well it looks like that stuff ran out of the barrel a while ago into the stream\x85" "You mean that same stream we regularly go to swim at to avoid our parents right?" "Yes he does Michael" After Erica spoke there was a long silence\x85

"Don't you think that some one came here to look for the chemicals that were in that container?" Eric and Michael looked at their sister and then the container. "Yes I'm sure of it but what about us? We need to forget about this and then just go home agreed?" Michael nodded then so did Erica. "Good" Eric walks off with some parts of his bike while his siblings carry the rest.

In the present

Michael walks back into the living room and hands Eric a cup of coffee. Taking the cup Erik takes a long drink then breathes out. "I already know about that day remember I was there\x85 But I had forgotten some things about that day continue if you want"

"I will but I will go back to the day when we found out that what ever was in the containers. Affected and infected all of us but took longer to work since the stream water diluted the subsistence"

Fall

October 14, 1997

It is evening at the Taillong residence. Eric is sitting in a rocking chair holding his journal. Eric's mother comes into living room on the second floor and speaks to her second born. "Eric what are you doing? You should greet the guests downstairs like your brother and sister" Eric sighs and stands. "I hate formal party's!" "Too bad mister now march!" Eric does a fake salute and walks past his mother who slaps him.

"Why do you act this way?" Eric in a fake sweet voice "Because I don't like you for what your going to do to me and my siblings\x85" "What are you talking about?" "I had a dream that\x92s all\x85" Eric leaves the room while his mother stands there. Heading downstairs Eric sees his brother mingling with the guests. "Hey come on over here Eric" "Not a chance but\x85" Eric spied his fathers gaze on him from across the room. "Ill talk for a while\x85"

Eric stood with his brother and went into his I don't care normally but this party really really sucks mode as the night went on. At around 11:34 p.m. the party was still going on since it was a Saturday night. "Man don't you wish that this was Sunday so we could go home?" Michael heard a couple speak. "Don't act that way dear or my employer will look at me funny on Monday" The wolfs wife rubbed against his shoulder "But\x85" "We can do that later I am sure"

Michael walked over to Eric who was holding a wineglass and looking out a window. "Man this is so much fun why don't you have some fun also and take off that hurt yet dangerous look you have on right now. The fems are checking you out yet your scaring them!" Michael nudged his brother who looked at him and smiled. "Your right but I'm worried\x85 I have been noticing things about my appearance\x85"

Michael who was slightly affected by the alcohol he had consumed thought his little brother was finally growing up. "Whoa look at the late bloomer" Michael got stares from people in the area as Eric blushed. "Um puberty was like a few summers back I mean" Eric took his brother to the side. "I meant the barrel incident\x85 I think it did something to me\x85" Michael was one of those types who always freaked at bad news in a strange way each time.

"Oh\x85." Michael drank his wine and then walked over to a vixen and asked her to dance. And soon he was forgetting his problems. Eric slumped then decided to dance the night away too. So putting on a smile Eric found someone to dance with. After the party ended Eric was dirt tired "My fur smells like ick" Erica smiled "My fur smells like um\x85 Ill keep that to myself " Michael belched then said excuse me. "My fur is\x85 Okay"

Eric stood up from the couch he had crashed on with his sibs. "Well I'm going to bed after a shower\x85 Um where's the butlers and cleaning ladies?" Erica leaned forward on her hands. "Off for the night\x85 Mom and dad are at it again\x85" Eric frowned. "Damn it how many times has it been this week alone!"

Eric heard his parents fighting upstairs about money again. "Four times I think dad starts it on purpose cause of what happens after the argument\x85" Erica giggled at what Michael said. "Yea well couples argue and um Eric why are your eyes white? Are you messing with Halloween stuff already?" Eric ran to a mirror and looked in it and his pupil's came back.

"I swear it's that stream incident thingy happened the otha\x85 Um\x85. DAMN IT IM CONFUSED!" Eric heard his mother yell from the room above. "Don't cuss young man!" Eric mewed back with his sister "Yes mother" Michael remembered what Eric said earlier. "Eric um you think that you have gained some amazing powers right?" Eric shook his head. "Why you ask?" "Well when you were little you and Erica would dress up in various articles of clothing and pretend you were armored lass and agility boy\x85 That agility part was right for both of you but um I think the pots and pans Erica wore were too much"

Michael laughs while Eric and Erica smack him with pillows. Michael grabs a pillow and throws it at Eric. Who can't duck in time and lets out a yelp, as it is about to strike his face. Michael gasps with Erica as their Mother breaks a glass nearby. Eric opens his eyes and sees the pillow in front of his face but its not striking him as it floats there. Eric grabs the pillow from the air and looks at his horrified mother. "I\x85" Eric falls to his knees as his mother runs upstairs forgetting the wine glass she broke and the wine she came for.

The present

Michael looks at his watch and marvels that the story telling detail his brother has since the accident. "Wow your so good its already the afternoon" Eric sighs and stretches out on the floor. "Any reason you're there?" Eric looks towards the sound of his brother's voice. "I feel comfortable here that\x92s all" Michael smiles faintly. "Do you remember moms smile?"

Eric sighs "Yes I do but\x85" Eric starts to talk about the day when the men in black came.

October 29, 1997

The front door of the mansion was kicked in as Michael was sent flying back as it splintered when he went to answer it. "MIKE!" Eric was hit in the chest with a tazer and fell to one knee looking up he was hit with another tazer as his sister ran into the room. "Eric! Michael!" Erica was hit in a similar fashion as her brother with tazers. The masked assault team leader shouted, "Stay here with them. You two others check the place over quickly!" The sounds of feet running off were heard as Michael tried to stand and a gun was shoved in his face.

"Don't move" "Yes I see that to do so would mean death right?" "Correct" Michael was kicked in the head from the side and knocked out. "The place is empty as we were told there the only ones here" Eric thought of what his mother said as she and his father left the house that morning. "Watch your self" "She set us up\x85 Damn her! No I won't be experimented on!" Eric fearful of what was to come used his telekinesis powers to hurl a family portrait at a man that he soon tackled to the ground and beat with his fists.

Pulling the fur's mask off he saw the face of one of his attackers. "Why you've seen my face!" Eric slashes the man under his muzzle with his claws.

"NO!" Eric heard his sister's cry too late as he felt his world explode with pain in his back as a sharp crack of a gun was heard. Falling forward Eric saw the face of the fur who's mask he pulled off again. Someone he thought he would never see again.

Hours later

Eric awoke in a common hospital room. He was lying on a bed next to his sister's bed. She seemed to be okay. Michael wasn\x92t in the room with them though he spotted another bed. "If I'm in the hospital why are we all in the same room? This is so strange\x85." Eric woke up for real and found himself alone. "I hate dreams\x85." "Well this is a real nightmare Eric\x85"

Eric looked at his older brother. "What do you mean?" Michael walked over to his brother's bed. "I just took a little stroll it seems from what I can tell we're orphans who were in a car accident and landed here. I am your legal guardian and supposedly have taken care of you guys since mom and dad died. We have all been bounced around in the system for years according to the fake records. They were very good who ever covered up our lives. Even my girlfriends don't know me\x85 And I called each one\x85 They were afraid of something as they spoke"

Eric leapt out of bed and regretted it but only let a yelp show his pain from his back. "WHAT?" "Yep the agents that took us down I am guessing took care of our identities also\x85 Our parents were either bought off or killed I am guessing they sold us out" Eric sat on the bed feeling the cool sheets against him. "Where's my clothing? This thing they call clothing is like not my fashion" "Hmm ill have to buy you some new clothes but goodwill dropped off some for us\x85 Except Erica for some reason\x85"

Eric suddenly got a bad feeling and stood up quickly again. "I think I know what happened and I think I have an idea why were being screwed over\x85 But I need to find Erica" "Here you will need these" Michael tosses Eric some pants which he slips on. "I'll take the top floors you take the bottom I'm sure they have come for her already and have moved her to another room to check her out"

"How can you be so sure? What are you talking about Eric?" "Just FIND HER!" Eric ran off wincing in pain as he reached the elevator. The elevator doors closed but not before Eric caught a glimpse of a man in a black suit. "Oh no\x85." Eric took off as Michael ran down the stairs and stopped at the bottom to take a breath as he entered the next floor to continue his search for his little sister.

Eric ran with all the strength that he had till he reached the top floor. Getting a feeling he

was close to his sister Eric ran into a room and saw her lying on a bed. Walking up to the bed Eric got a feeling that someone was behind him. Using what common sense he had Eric ducked then did a sweep with his left leg tripping the man behind him.

"You lousy little\x85" The dark clothed stranger stood. "What do you want?" "Your sister is a perfect subject\x85 Your not because your not suitable for the project" "Why are you telling me this?" "Because your life is now nothing but a dream and so is this moment" Eric gasped as he felt a needle hit his neck and inject its contents into his blood.

"Goodnight" Were the last words Eric heard as he slipped out of the world of the wake for the second time in as many hours.

Michael stands up "Well that\x92s what happened? Why didn\x92t you tell me sooner?" Eric looked down. Michael frowned "That\x92s not what happened? Why lie to me? What the hell is wrong with you?" Eric smirked "Plenty brother what really happened was\x85"

The past (again)

Eric ran into his sister's hospital room. "Get away from her!" Eric's head was bashed from behind. "Why you" Eric flung the man behind him into the hall with his telekinesis then slammed a door into him knocking him out and scaring the masked person at his sisters side. "How did you do that? When we examined you showed no signs of being enhanced with the\x85. You don't need to hear this" Pulling a gun on Eric the person fired twice at him.

Eric fell to one knee. "Your still alive but I shot you in the heart\x85" Eric stood his pupils gone. "No way!" The man took a step back and bumped the bed "Get away from her\x85 You\x92re the same person from the house. The one who's face I saw!" Eric gasped as he felt the pain in his chest and the realization. "NO\x85 I must complete my mission\x85" Noticing the man had a harness on and he had just put one on Erica when he came in. Eric assumed he planed to go out the window. "DIE FREAK!" Eric felt the bullets hit him but he still ran at the man as he climbed out the window with Erica and was about to jump.

"Shoot him now!" Eric spotted a sniper and ducked as bullets hit the widow sill. "COME BACK WITH HER!" Eric stood and ran out the room leaving a blood trail. A nurse screamed when she saw Eric run by his fur bloodied. Eric ignored the pain and collapsed when he reached the elevator. Michael stepped out of it and saw his brother.

"OH MY GOD! SOME ONE HELP HIM!"

"So that\x92s what happened to her\x85 The same agents that grabbed her shot you up and you were some how able to survive being shot to death?" "Yea but I didn\x92t die" "You should have your powers were not what they are now then" "I know\x85" "So you think they grabbed her because the chemical somehow gave her abilities beyond ours?" "No cause they thought that she was the only one who got powers as far as i can tell it's a good thing they desired not to come after me or you in full force and just pick with us now and then"

"They erased our identity's and anyway they never got the chance to examine us again so why should they come after us with all they have?" Eric looked at the ceiling then stood up. "Well now you know" Michael hopped in front of his brother. "Wait a moment I know your hiding something now tell me what is it?"

"None of your business and besides I need my sleep" Eric remembered the picture on ZigZag's desk the one of her boyfriend the same man who ruined his life and grabbed Erica. "James\x85" "What was that?" "Nothing" "You\x92re a habitual fibber I know your not telling me something!" "Forget it I told you all I want to tell you\x85. Did you say fibber? What is up with that?"

Eric laughs as he walks to his room "Hey I meant\x85 Dang it" Michael goes to his room.

End of Chapter 2

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