Workplace Relations By Michael Barnes

Chris Foxx is owned and copyrighted \xA9 by Chris Yost. Amy Squirrel and Sabrina are copyrighted \xA9 to Eric W.Schwartz. James Sheppard is copyrighted \xA9 to James Bruner Michael Taillong and Eric Taillong are owned by me. Anthony Maximillion is copyrighted to his player Anthony Lanuza. ZigZag is copyrighted to Max BlackRabbit and is also used with permission.

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 7

Trouble comes in threes

Eric blinks and sees Mike open his mouth to curse as he spots the explosive his brother pointed to. Knowing what he must do Eric snags it from the ceiling in an arching leap and leaps out the window with the bomb. Time seems to speed up again and

“Oh CRUD!”A loud explosion is heard and windows shatter and Michael and ZigZag are thrown to the ground by the force of the blast.

ZigZag gets up first “Oh my…. ERIC!” Michael shakes his head

”We have to see if he is okay!” Michael races through the smoke filled studio as the fire from the front fills the offices with smoke. Sabrina gasps as Angela helps her up

“I am quitting! I can’t take this craziness…. Its bad enough I had to deal with the idea of working in an adult studio. But to be caught in explosions! I can’t take it!”

Angela coughs and grabs a desk for support

“Yea well don’t leave us now girl… I was just starting to see what Eric sees in you” Sabrina pauses

“He likes me? But I thought he was with you?” Angela smiles

“I mean as a friend! Besides Chris needs you so we need to get out of here and make sure you two get together for that date you told me you promised him!”

Sabrina nods “What about ZigZag and the rest?” Angela coughs

“We need to get out first then make sure they are alive! In situations like these you get who you can see and get out!”

Meanwhile

Anthony laughs sadistically while viewing the burning Double Z studios with binoculars.

“So Erica… Your mission went off without a hitch?” Erica smiles and hugs Anthony and kisses him in full view of Anthony’s wife who happens to be in the office.

“Yes you insane fool… Too bad about my brothers and that cutie ZigZag… Isn’t that right James?” James is looking away from the others

“Come now James you should know that it would have happened sooner or later… That you would have fallen in love with your target…”

Erica laughs “Jamesy that is so unprofessional! You taught me better! Remember? An assassin never falls in love with their victim… You broke that rule…. Anthony you should pay him extra this month for his pain… not!” James lets a lone tear run down his cheek.

”Hmm that’s strange”

Erica looks at Anthony

“What is?”

Anthony points with a claw and Erica looks with his binoculars then says “SHIT! He’s alive!” Anthony smiles

“It doesn’t matter… With the studio burning… They have no hope of initiating any kind of plan to counter mine!”

James smiles defiantly and faces his employer as Anthony smiles at him “Your target is alive… Your happy are you not? I didn’t give you the order to kill her… Yet this time I left the job to our new replacement for her poor double… Erica. She did quite well… I knew Eric would survive but lets see if his brother and employer did too”

James grows angered as Anthony says, “Next time I am going to tell you to kill ZigZag… While you’re in bed… A fitting finale to her choice of lifestyle wouldn’t you say?”

Back at the Double Z studios

Michael races outside with ZigZag and sees that all of the furs inside the studio had gotten out.

“ERIC! DAMN YOU ERIC WHERE ARE YOU?!” Angela turns in Michael’s direction and runs to him. “Did he… Did he… Is he…” Michael shakes his head

“He was the one who saved us by getting the bomb out of Zig’s office But…” Michael hangs his head.

Angela breaks down and cries as Anthony looks on and laughs from his office “I guess I owe you two grand extra Erica… It seems you were right… Angela is acting like you said she would”

Erica smirks while gazing at James who grabs his coat.

”Where are you going hmm?” James looks at her

”I have to play the role of the concerned boyfriend so I am going to act concerned”

”Don’t show up so soon after all someone will get suspicious… Damn he left”
Anthony smiles

”Leave him be now lets watch the show.. Darling will you get me a drink” Anthony’s wife nods and leaves scowling.

Michael and everyone looks around for Eric then return to stand next to a dumpster in the parking lot. “I guess… He… Sorry Angela…”

Angela sobs and clutches Sabrina who pats her back

”I know how you feel I don’t know what I would do if Chris ever… I think I am going to cry…” Michael sniffs

”First that attack… Now this… Eric was a good brother… I will miss him”

A thud Is heard from the dumpster. Michael and ZigZag pick up on the sound.

“ERIC!” Mike throws the top open and Eric sits up laughing rubbing his bleeding head.

”I don’t know how but I made it into this thing…. Just in time…. Whew….”

Eric lies back again as ZigZag comes over to help pull him out.

“How did you do it? And do you know that this dumpster is used for the disposal of… Um soiled clothing?”

Eric laughs harder as the others gather around him

”Yea but… I thought in our line of work much clothing wasn’t used… Michele can verify that along with a few others!” Eric laughs harder as Michael looks at Angela who stares with everyone else.

“Eric our sister tried to kill us! We have no proof… And you’re laughing?”

“I survived! How did I move so fast? I don’t know I just DID! I threw the bomb into the air as high as I could then leapt into the dumpster as it went off! Man did that thing make a hole and it also set the studio on fire”

The full effect of her studio’s destruction hits hard for one Sknukette

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Eric blinks “Man you weren’t lying about her screaming being able to make ya deaf…” Michael leans over to Eric

“Yea and the ‘enhanced’ vocal cords don’t help heh” ZigZag does something she does rarely she cries…

”All those years… Damn your sister! The psychotic bitch tried to kill us and ends up blowing the studio up!” Eric coughs as everyone steps back from ZigZag as the fire department pulls up late.

“Um it was blown up… The front of the offices were caved in by the explosion and also causing the gas lines to rupture… Now I don’t want to be around when the flaming wreckage gets a hit of that gas do you?”

ZigZag sighs “Your right… but the lines should be shut off now that the obviously bribed fire teams have arrived late…”

Eric smiles “I have master copies of our studios films in my house as you do also ZigZag remember?” ZigZag smiles “Yes I should be able to do something with those but without the ol double Z…”

Jake smiles “We can start over… Um I guess I could ask one of my thirty cousins if I could rent a warehouse and use that… And another for filming equipment and another for…” Eric silences Jake with a nudge

“Yea or I could reach into my hefty bank account and steal Mikes half of the cash there and use it to rebuild… Course we need a work crew that is un corrupted”

James walks over and hugs ZigZag and kisses her “I just got here… And I heard your plan… And I will help… I am sure I can help you with reconstruction” Angela gets an idea and kisses Eric.

“And im sure I could help you with a problem you told me about… After something like this im sure you will want to deal with it before…”

Angela breaks down again at the thought of Eric dying

“Its okay… Its okay… Don’t worry im okay” Eric sighs and smiles “Lets all just watch ZigZag’s dream burn down then go home and…”

ZigZag punches the back of Eric’s head and everyone laughs

“Stop with the jokes! Besides this wouldn’t have happened if your sister weren’t so good at being sneaky… I am still lost as to how she knows Anthony…. Speak of the devil”

Anthony pulls up in a white limo and steps out of it plucking a speck of dirt off of his coats sleeve.

“Hello slut… Err I mean ZigZag”

James growls and takes a step towards Anthony but ZigZag stops him like he hoped. Anthony smiles knowing James cant harm him.

“James don’t hit him… He can sue you or press charges which I am sure he would do”

Angela hugs Eric suddenly feeling an aura of evil coming from Anthony

”Your girlfriend is quite cute would she care for a ride with me? Hehehe”

Eric closes his eyes sighs and shudders

“Leave…. This is private property…. I suggest you move your butt out of here NOW!”

Anthony sips a glass of wine that is handed to him by his driver and looks at a paper.

”Did you say something?”

Eric leaps at Anthony and slams his fist into his stomach while Michael follows up with a punch to the face knocking Anthony back into his limo, his drink spilling all over him.

ZigZag walks over and slams the door shut “Go to hell asshole… We don’t need your gloating right now”

Anthony wipes a trickle of blood off his face as he smiles and then laughs from inside the limo. “You may have your health but you don’t have your studio… That means I win and ill make damn sure you don’t ever recover from this!”

Eric picks up his shades from out of the dumpster… “Yea well you win… We lose have a nice day ” Eric slips and bashes his nose on the side of the dumpster as he says this.

Anthony laughs hard as he lifts his left hand signaling his driver to leave.

”Someone drive me home…” Eric holds his nose then smiles as Angela leads him to her car.

Anthony orders his driver to drive as he looks coldly at Michael and ZigZag who look back just as coldly.

Michael whispers “We need to still save Sabrina…” ZigZag frowns

“Yea well im really pissed off as you can understand….” The fire department half-heartedly puts out the blaze behind her as she sulks. Michael sighs and walks to his co-workers side. “Go home guys… It looks like we are out of work for a while… At least until the insurance check comes… Right ZZ?”

ZigZag’s head snaps up “Um… I really need to go home and change…” James leads ZigZag to her car as she gives one last look at the smoldering wreckage before getting in.

”Call me okay?” ZigZag doesn’t even look at James as she straps in and leaves. Michael walks to his car after seeing ZigZag’s silent exchange with James.

”Looks like theirs trouble for that coyote” He thinks as he pulls off and heads for home.

Two days later

”James is a murderous assassin!” ZigZag punches Eric in the nose sending his glasses flying.

”Don’t you DARE say that about the man I love! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” ZigZag picks up her living room TV and prepares to throw it at Eric.

”I got it! But I only told you cause you’re a friend… He is not what he seems! He is the one who trained Erica! I know this cause I scanned her mind remember!?” ZigZag puts down the TV and then walks over to Eric.

”If that is true then you knew.. She was sent by Anthony!” ZigZag slams Eric into the ground after tripping him. Eric grabs his glasses and puts them on to hide his swollen eye and stands.

”ZZ! He is a spy… An assassin! A killer! He was the one that helped grab Erica! He always was a traitor!” ZigZag punches Eric in the stomach making him gasp then throws him to the ground.

”But I love him…. Things like this always happened to me… First the studio then this! You’re the one who is trying to mess up my life! You have no idea what I have been thorough!”

Eric sighs “I know a lot more than you think… Fine… Ill go but know this… I had no idea she was going to blow up the studio… I just knew she knew Anthony and James… Oh and sorry about bleeding all over your floor”

Eric leaves and walks over to Michael’s car “Ouch… She lit into you pretty well… Hmm I take it she doesn’t want to speak to us again?” Michael offers his brother a tissue after reaching for one in his glove compartment.

Eric takes the tissue and cleans his nose “No… Just me… You im sure she doesn’t want to see due to you being related to me….” Michael nods

“Did you tell her about…” Eric sighs “I guess you did… Listen.. We can do her a favor and rebuild I mean how much does it cost?” Eric shoves a note into Mike’s face. “WHOA!!! I didn’t think it would be that cheap!”

Eric blows his nose and smirks “Yea well it is… How goes our plan?” Michael grabs his laptop. “Well Sabrina is at home cleaning her collection now… But I am sure they will get to her when she leaves to go to this diner here” Michael points to the screen of his lap top “With Chris”

Eric nods and walks around the car and gets in “So we stop those agents from getting to her at this alley?” Michael smirks

”Yea we gut em then dump em here” Eric buckles in “Good now drive me home… I am sure we need to get ready… Did you order that take out?” Michael grabs his cell phone

”No but you can… With your credit cards” Eric dials up Vin’s pizzeria. After ordering three pizzas Eric hangs up and hands Michael his phone back.

”Good now lets get home!” Eric relaxes and rubs his eye wondering about ZigZag’s future and is own.

”Mike? What if I told you that I saw something? Something really strange in that moment before I grabbed the bomb… Something of a crazy vision of my own future… Our futures…” Michael concentrates on his driving then glances at his brother.

”What are you talking about? You didn’t have time to see anything like that… The way you moved…. It’s a good thing you’re a cat and can play off your speed by saying its natural and not a side effect of our exposure to that damned stuff”

Michael growls out in anger “We are going home nothing more little brother… Besides… Sabrina’s life is in danger! We need to save her from being skunknapped!”

Eric rolls his eyes “I thought I was the one who made the jokes? And that isn’t even a word!” Michael stops at a stop light.

”Not this weak heh and besides im the won who likes wordplay” Eric groans and thinks for a moment as the light switches back to green and Michael pulls off.

”Mike you still haven’t explained why and how the agents will know Sabrina knows about our special traits…. I didn’t think there mind readers were that good” Eric scratches the tip of his nose as Michael yawns and suddenly swerves sharply into their driveway.

”It is simple… Ill explain inside” Michael and his brother exit the car as Eric takes out his cane and unfolds it with a flick of his wrist and pauses for a moment.

”Michael if you don’t get from in front of me with your foot out ill hurt you.. Badly!” Micahel snickers

”It’s a joke… So how did you know this time? Your mind feeling thing?” Eric sighs

”No not my psyic touch I smelled you.. Man you need to take a shower!” Mike sniffs his underarm.

”That’s my cologne!” Eric laughs as slams the front door closed as he leaves his brother standing there fuming.

At Sabrina’s apartment

”Sooo you finally moved out of Amy’s place right?”

Sabrina smiles at Chris and rests her head on his shoulder as they walk along to her new apartment. “Yes I moved of course its in the same apartment building… Just so you know”

Chris nods “I was wondering why you were walking the same route we take home after dinner at that pizza place Eric told us about”

Chris and Sabrina chat as they walk past an alley where three figures lie in wait.

”Mike are you sure this is right?” On a rooftop above the three shadowy figures below Michael and Eric watch them still unchanged.

”Eric relax I am absolutely sure these are the guys! Besides don’t you smell the oil and circuitry?” Eric sniffs and nods

”Yea and I also noticed those guys are on the move! Lets go!” Eric and Michael leap from roof top to roof top. Micahel feels unsure about his brothers jumping ability since he is blind and clams darkness and low light makes his vision better.

“Bro remember if you leap wrong it’s a three story fall….” Eric runs past his brother suddenly and leaps flips and misses the other rooftop.

”ERIC!” Michael runs to the edge and looks down and lets out his held breath at seeing Eric sitting on the edge of the fire escape railing below.

”What took ya Mikey?” Eric giggles “Shut up… You had me worried!”

Mike leaps down next to his brother and crouches as Eric turns and hops next to his brother and opens the window to an empty apartment.

”So… This is the right building?” Eric nods and enters the room behind his brother.

”Yea now we need to get to Sabrina’s place… It’s on the same floor as her old room… Funny I always thought Sabrina refused to move due to expense?”

Michael coughs “I forgot to mention this but… Everyone but us got raises since we like um already charger ZigZag a lot for renting…. But not anymore….”

Eric rolls his eyes “Just be wary of those androids and the glowing eyes in the next room”
Michael looks past his brother into the living room and spots the six glowing eyes.

”This was a set up! They came for us not Sabrina! Spit of the luck!!” The sound of weapons charging is heard and Michael and Eric leap out of the way as Tazer lines zip past them and collide with the wall behind them.

Eric frowns and hits a button on the side of his cane and its tip begins to spark. “No they have orders to take out all threats to the mission… They heard us coming. We really need to shut up when we are trying to sneak around Mike”

Eric charges the first android as it steps into the room. And shoves the tip of his cane against its chest sending a charge through its body disrupting its servo motors. As the first android drops another enters and grabs Eric’s cane and snaps it.

”Surrender and we will just capture you resist and die!” Michael stands fully transformed. Changing while his brother took care of the first machine.

”For a thinking machine you should know your odds of living beyond this event. Are non existent!” Michael leaps at the robot and it catches him by his neck and commences to strangle him.

Eric frowns and is about to help his brother when suddenly blood sprays from his shoulder and back. “AHHH!”

Eric falls forward unmoving as the android holding a struggling Michael suddenly has a hole in its forehead. Michael realizing that shot was meant for him breaks free and drops to the floor and scrambles for his brother before dodging a hail of bullets that leave a spaghetti pattern on the walls as he runs into the living room.

”You will not escape” Michael frowns at the last android

”Your not stopping me I wont let you stop me!” Michael punches the android in its jaw and then sends a flurry of punches into it’s mid section before dropping into a duck as a few bullets hit it in its chest knocking it into the apartment door.

Michael yanks open the door and grabs his brother and runs into the hall. Eric moans and then passes out. “Hang in their Eric….” Michael moves slowly through the hallway knowing the sniper must be able to shoot through walls the way the bullets almost always hit home.

Almost being the key word Michael decides to pause ”If the bullets can go through walls why doesn’t this psycho just finish me off… This makes no sense…”

On a rooftop across from Sabrina’s apartment a cloak clad figure crouches peering through a special x-ray scope at Michael. About the squeeze the trigger the sniper pauses noticing Michael’s movements have stopped.

”Quite amazing this human behaves differently than any I have hunted before… I need to study its movements more before I claim my prize and my price”

Placing her rifle into its case the sniper hurries down a fire escape and enters a black Mercedes and speeds off.

Michael meanwhile slouches against a wall holding his younger brother. “I can’t take you to the hospital… You were just there and the questions and the fact that you transformed and went feral while there…. What am I going to do?”

Sabrina meanwhile is relaxing with Chris when a rapid knock is heard from her door.

”Its probably Amy asking for me to baby sit” Chris smiles

”Parenthood can be stressful” Sabrina walks to the door and opens it to find Michael standing there with Eric in his arms.

”Help us…. I don’t know what to do!” Sabrina steps back then glances at Chris

”I cant I have company! Cant you like heal rapidly or something?” Michael frowns as he holds his brother in his arms. Eric coughs up blood

”Sometimes and other times we can’t! And these were armor piercing bullets anyway! No matter how tough our skin is against knives and regular bullets… That Teflon coated stuff goes through our skin and fur like butter… Please let me in! If I don’t do something Eric will die!”

Sabrina looks at Eric now feeling guilty “Fine but you should change back!” Michael closes his eyes and relaxes. Sabrina motions for Michael to take Eric to the bathroom.

”You stay here ill deal with Chris… Also please try not to get too much blood on the…. Aww forget it”

Michael smiles then looks at Eric who stares back

”What should I do?”

”Nothing… I will heal if you can….” Eric passes out again as Michael groans

”Do nothing first he says do nothing then he tries to tell me what to do and passes out…. Il just stop his bleeding with these really nice towels”

later

”Where am I? Am I dead?” Eric looks around and notices Michael sitting next to the couch snoring while Sabrina comes out of her room.

”You’re going to be dead…. You got blood…” Sabrina shakes her head “Bleh all over my bathroom and couch! Your replacing my stuff you messed up after you got shot”

Eric looks around at the torn up living room. “So what happened?”

Sabrina sits next to Eric and hands him a cup of water “When your heart stopped… Mike had just came back with some adrenaline from his car and he used it on you…”

Eric nods and Sabrina sighs, “Of course you woke up and went berserk and that’s when he mentioned that it also contained something to make you change into human form. It saved your life at the cost of my living room…”


Eric hugs Sabrina “Thank you… Im sure if Mike had not had brought me here he would not have thought of how to save me in time… Of course ill buy you new stuff”

Michael suddenly stands up “What about those androids!” Michael bolts out of the apartment and down the hall and up the stairs.

”Androids?” Sabrina asks as Eric stands and then sits back down after feeling a sharp pain in his back.

”Ya they were here to kidnap you kill you and replace you with a clone while they studied your brain to see if you knew any info on me or my brother that they don’t… Standard FRM plan”

”FRM? What is that and kill me?” Sabrina stares at Eric

”Yep Fur Replacement Mission… They regularly kill people and replace them with clones that live out their originals lives…. Only about a hundred people have been replaced mostly high level officials around the world and one 24 hour store clerk who saw an alien landing”

Sabrina blinks “Soooo everyone I know would have not known I was a clone?”
Eric nods and drinks the water.

”Pretty sure they couldn’t tell the diff… That is why I had so much trouble scanning Erica’s mind… She’s a clone much as I feared… Only thing is her original self is very much alive… She ran away from the training complex. But they periodically took blood samples… DNA stores memories Sabrina that is why the clone is pretty much my sister…. Only she’s not”

Sabrina shakes her head “How can cells hold memories? Can’t only the mind do that?”

Eric smirks

”What do you think the brain is made of? Millions of cells all networked together… It would be simple enough to take a small sample and keep it on record easily… That’s what I am guessing they did… Besides the standard mind scans….”

”Okay…. So Erica was a clone… The original is somewhere out there and this Erica is working for Anthony… As an actress? But I thought the one at his studio was a clone already?”

Eric frowns “No just a body double Anthony ordered Erica to kill from my reasoning… To throw us off and make us think that Erica isn’t a clone… So officially my sister is still missing… Michael is still brilliant yet simple”

Mike pops in with a deck of cards “The MIB came for there androids…. What a waste of money… Making robots that can think yet can’t fight…”

Eric snickers “They sure were beating you up” Michael frowns

”Yea yea… So what if they were…. Sabrina are you okay now and where is Chris?”
Loud snoring is heard from Sabrina’s room.

Eric and Mike look at Sabrina with smirks on their faces “Nothing happened guys! He just fell asleep…. He was tired”

Eric and Mike’s jaws drop “Um sure ill bet…. Oh well Mike lets go…. Oh and Sabrina… If you talk to ZigZag don’t mention our names…”

Sabrina frowns and is about to close the door behind Michael when he sticks his head in.
”Sabrina… Nice hickey by the way” Sabrina shoves Mike’s head out of the apartment and slams the door shut.

”You shouldn’t have said that Mike!” Michael looks at Eric and smiles

”She won’t hate me forever besides lets just get home and carbo load” Eric looks down at his stomach and smiles.

”Yea im pretty hungry…. And I may have lost ten pounds…” Michael and Eric exit the apartment building and walk over to his brother’s car.

A tiger in a business suit stands up suddenly and runs away from the car. “NO NOT A CAR BOMB!!!” Eric leaps over his brother’s car grabs the device and throws it after the tiger and it lands on his car.

The tiger looks up and leaps away as the bomb goes off blowing his car up. Michael gapes at the scene. “Whoa….. That was soo cool! Thank goodness you’re a cat man!”

Eric gives his brother a knowing wink “Yea well lets go home…”

Eric and Mike climb into the car and Michael hands Eric a new pair of shades. “These are the kind Will Smith wore in the Wild Wild West… So here the are smaller and look better…”

Eric smiles “Nice gesture but they don’t provide that fines I love about…” Eric takes out a pair of shades from the glove compartment. “These fine lenses”

Michael shrugs and pulls off. “Oh and when did you add that stun piece to your cane?”

Eric shrugs “Why back when I first got my cane… I don’t trust these people… Ya know? When I first met Jazz and he ran over me and I tracked him down for revenge purposes. I was considering shoving it…”

Mike stops his brother “Hey! Too much info bro” Michael pats his brother on the shoulder. Michael and Eric sit in silence for a while “Just relax were almost home and we will go see…. Oh my god!”

Michael and Eric pull up to a flaming wreckage of there home. “Why us?”
Eric steps out of the car and smiles… “What’s so funny Eric?”

”That’s not our house bro our house is next to it….” Michael looks over towards his and Eric’s home. “Um… Yea… Sure I guess im freaked a little still after last night…”

Eric smiles “Relax ha you need to relax more than me!” Michael frowns

”Shut up and get inside” Eric exits his brothers car and walks over and enters there home as Michael pulls up in front of it. Seconds later the fire department pulls up and puts out the blaze.

”Hmm So who was that sniper that shot me?”

”Like I know I just ran from the bullets… Oh and more importantly what about ZigZag? She will tell James if she hasn’t already about what you said!” There is a knock at the front door.

”Visitors? This early?” Michael opens the front door to find a gun pointed at his face.

”Hello Michael Taillong…. Nice day today isn’t it?” Michael gasps

”James! You stinking… Oh nice gun… Would you like to come in for some tea and cookies?” James smiles

”No just your lives” Michael closes his eyes as a gunshot is heard.

End of Chapter Seven

Email me at Mike_Charger@hotmail.com with comments.

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