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.

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 6

Making Choices

James lay wide-awake next to ZigZag thinking “Eric knows that I was one of the attackers at his former residence so many years ago… If he still had his vision he would tell the others… But before he did so I would silence him… Permanently.

James closed he eyes wondering what he would do if the truth ever came out about him and that day.

In another part of the suburbs

Eric lay awake his eyes wide open as he laid next to Angela who was muttering something about chicken in her sleep. “James… If he knows that I know that he was the guy whose mask I pulled off in that fight at the mansion all those years ago… I would have to kill him before he killed me… I must play dumb… For her sake” Eric rubbed Angela’s face as he thought.

“Soon we must confront each others pasts” James thought as he finally fell asleep. Eric closed his eyes also while elsewhere in the house.

”Damn you and your finishing moves!” Michael muttered, “You’re the one who wanted to play MK4 in the first place Mikey” Michael frowned at his sister Erica and yawned “Its late goodnight Erica” Mike walked off as Erica sat in front of the TV messing around with the channels.

Coming across a late night commercial about a recent adult video release Erica smashes the TV when she sees her face on the screen and runs off leaping out the open front window. After stomping on Mike’s PS2 by accident
***

”Sooo Erica went nuts and took off?” Eric sighed and looked worriedly at Angela who was smirking at him “Yes Angela… I don’t know why she would smash the TV” Mike burst out yelling after spotting a footprint on his crushed in Playstation 2 “AND MY PLAYSTATION TOO!!!! GRRRR her ASS IS MINE!”

Eric laughed “She has done at least one good deed since living with us” Angela laughs and kisses Eric on the cheek. “Your so silly and hot” Eric jumps as Angela licks his ear

“Not here Angela sides we need to get to work!” Michael grieves over his Playstation 2 before logging on the Internet with his laptop in the living room and paying someone three grand for theirs with all available games included on e-bay.

***

Sitting in front of a computer in the hidden computer lab in the basement Eric works on his latest script. “Don’t ever look back… Hmm I should take that to heart but its only a line and sides… Im tired” Eric had decided not to clean up the Studio that night after arriving at work and discovering that the actors had filmed another of ZigZag’s messy scripts.

“ZigZag why must you always have so much ugh! In your scripts!” Eric stuck out his tongue. “On second thought that stuff always dries up and sticks…. Oh I should hurry over there and get to work… Cleaning it even if my janitor/secret owner/violent loner cover is blown… I wonder if I could call a cab this late?”

Eric stands and walks for the door to the computer room. Exiting and closing the door and hiding it again behind a movable brick wall Eric heads for his room.

Stopping in the living room he sniffs. “Michael… And blood” A figure steps behind Eric “Good like I thought and have always known even without being in were-human form you have enhanced sensory powers like ME!”

Eric is hit hard from behind and feels fangs sink into his jugular veins. Screaming “AHHHH!!!” Eric tries to remain as still as possible as to not tear his necks flesh any more on his attackers teeth.

Michael hears his brother’s yell and wakes up. But finds himself tied up and bleeding in a closet. The figure holding Eric speaks with his mind as he keeps his jaws locked on his neck

“You’re the brains Eric so ill destroy you and make sure your brother and friends don’t interfere in my plans”

Eric gasps and speaks with his mind back “X! Jack’s brother! Why do this now after so long!?” Anthony in his were-human form growls around Eric’s neck as it bleeds.

“The money he gave you to start over after he felt he ruined your lives was mine! He stole it then took off for the tropics with his infected hussy wife and kids! But that was smart not wanting to spread the virus, which was virulent due to it mutating in his body”

Eric frowns trying to stay awake “Why mess with something so unstable? WHY?” X ignores Eric’s questions and responds with.

“He took off but he left you since you showed no signs of being virulent. Just breathing was what Jack did to infect his family… Which you wont be doing for LONG!”

Eric tries to change but he finds he can’t concentrate with his blood flowing over his chest freely. “You wont change into the savage beast that I am not today!” Michael growls and alerts X to his presence

“Yea but you forgot about me! I would get ideas about you two if I couldn’t hear your telepathic speech heh. Standing there holding my brother by his neck with your teeth… People would get ideas ya know…” Eric screams in Mike’s head “Just get him off me already damn it!”

Michael leaps at X and knocks him off of Eric who gasps and falls to the ground. Eric stands and stumbles for the cordless phone as Mike and Anthony fight each other.

Holding his neck he tries to stay calm enough to call 911. “Michael try to get him out of the house and fight him in the woods… Ill call for help since I cant seem to heal quick enough…”

Eric passes out after hitting the three digits. Michael sees this and as he is locked in a death grip with X he screams his rage and throws X through a wall. Standing Michael looks at his slashed and bleeding furless body and growls. “Don’t mess with my family again!”

X stands then runs off into the woods behind the house. “Eric! OH NO!!!” Michael quickly runs into the shower then changes back to normal. Grabbing a towel he runs back to Eric who is awake and staring at the ceiling blankly. “Please don’t quit on me man!” Michael wraps the cloth around his brother’s neck and holds him.

Hours later

Sabrina sits in the waiting room with Michael and Chris who had just come from his apartment uptown. “Chris you just moved here and have seen a grisly murder and now you’re at the hospital with me to help console Michael… How do you do it?” Chris pushes his glasses up on his nose.

”I… Just do… Besides any friend of yours is a friend of mine” Sabrina looks at Michael who’s been growling the whole time he’s been in the hospital. “You’re scaring the nurses” Michael looks at Sabrina “I frankly DON’T CARE!” Michael stands and stomps off. Chris stares “He hit on you? Why he’s obviously not your type?” “At least he uses Amiga’s” Chris can’t help but smile.

“Yes but anyway what happened?” Sabrina frowns “Eric as you know is the script writer at the studio when ZigZag doesn’t have a burst of inspiration” Chris nods snickering

“What else does he do?” “He cleans as you already know” Chris laughs “Yea he must be slipping in interesting stuff now and then and bumping into walls” Sabrina giggles

“No not really he somehow navigates the halls and offices just fine only now and then he walks into a door or wall”

Chris cocks his head “Really? Hmm good memory I guess or a good cane interesting. But not as much as you are Sab” “Not now Chris” Sabrina says blushing then growing serious

“My Friend is laying on a table getting some important veins sewed back into place. We don’t need to be happy right now” ZigZag walks into the waiting room

“Sabrina you are such a party pooper!” “ZigZag!? What are you doing here? Why are you here?”

ZigZag walks over to Sabrina and flashes her smile and teeth. “Come now you think that something like this would not bring me to the hospital in a hurry?”

Sabrina looked down “Sorry I was being selfish again. Chris this is my boss ZigZag… Chris?” Chris was staring at something and then he slowly raised his paw pointing “Sab… What is that?” ZigZag turned around then took a step back with a gasp. “Eric?”

Eric stood there fully transformed with stitches in his neck drool dripping from fangs his eyes pupils slitted “GRRRRR…… Wha… What the? Oh no not again!” Eric regained some control then took off down the hall and out of a window as fast as he could.

Sabrina looks at ZigZag “What? That thing was Eric?” ZigZag turns back to Sabrina who is holding Chris’s head in her lap rubbing his head softly as he sucks on his thumb totally shocked and stressed out due to recent events like his kidnapping and this one driving him over the edge.

“No Sabrina I thought… That… That monster came from his room” Sabrina totally seeming curious about this more than Chris’s mental state gets up “Oh lets go see. Now Chris let the nice nurse help you” Chris nods and walks off with a nurse as Michael came running up. “Did you see that!?” ZigZag answers with a grin and wink “Yes Mike it came from your brothers room”

As Michael walks towards his brother’s room with the others he stops and sniffs then opens the door. Sabrina looks at ZigZag who shrugs. Upon entering they find Eric lying in his bed sweating and with a worried look on his face.

“By any chance did you see a were-human run through here?” Sabrina walks up next to Eric’s bed “Yes we did are you okay?” Eric nods “Yea it came through the window then looked at me then took off”

Sabrina sits in a chair “Well it said some words then took off after scaring Chris into an infancy state” Eric laughs and then faking pain grabs his neck like it hurts. “Oww that’s pretty funny” Sabrina narrows her eyes. “Eric are you a were-human?” “What? What do you mean? Like in all those old movies based on factual legends about an ancient race that was wiped out by us?”

ZigZag giggles as Sabrina gets serious “Something like that” Eric looks away “No I am not” Sabrina stands then says goodbye and leaves thinking.

“He’s hiding something? But what? And how come I don’t think ZigZag is telling me the whole story?”

Sabrina finds Chris and leaves the hospital with him as ZZ speaks to Eric and his brother. “So Anthony attacked you openly?” Eric smiles “Yes but Michael ran him off” ZigZag frowns. “Well do we know what his plans are?” “Yes and what a diabolical way to carry them out” Michael says “Mike what do you mean? You have only told me so much…”

Michael pulls out his reading shades and pulls a note pad out of his trench coat and takes a deep breath “Let me check my notes” ZigZag and Eric sigh and giggle at Mike’s mannerisms.

“Well from my current data I gathered he plans to spread the virus that changed our ancestors into what we are today Anthros. But to do so he needs to use a newer version of the virus taken from an infected person. He can take the sample he needs from what I can tell from himself or someone who is a perfect host for the virus… Like Eric”

“What?” Eric says confused “I hired a geneticist a while back and paid him to keep quiet. What he found was that you Eric have the most perfect conditions for virus to become virulent inside of you… Just like Erica” Eric gasps “NO! That’s why that government took her in the first place!”

Eric sobs and ZigZag puts her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t cry we can stop this somehow” Mike frowns “But how can we? Different governments of the world from my latest info want this to happen. But each has there own scenario for control! When infected people start to mutate they plan to step in and change the future… Into something not quite what we want in each area of the world they control”

ZZ thinks, “The only reason I am involved in this mess is because I have a stake in this also…” Eric remembers that day he accidentally infected ZigZag that night when her transformation first manifested.

ZigZag thinks of how she almost killed the two brothers while Michael thinks of strategies for beating the little kid next door in a Pokemon Gold battle via link cable.

***

A few years ago

ZigZag had been having nightmares lately about strange things and it was affecting her performance at work. “I have to stop this somehow… These dreams they really are having an effect on me at the studio” ZigZag walked to her bathroom and looked in the mirror and then at her arm. “That cut that kid gave me that day at the realtor’s office… It feels funny”

Zigzag goes into a convulsion and passes out.

Meanwhile

“Eric our new computer lab thingy is done come on man lets surf the net!” Eric cleans his shades “Not now Mike” Michael acts like a little kid “Awww I wanna surf the net!” Eric breathes on a lens and cleans it “You can alone Mike” Mike laughs “Ill drown!” Michael smiles and laughs along with his brother Eric who suddenly picks up a sound that makes his ears twitch.

“Ye hear that?” Michael’s quills mixed in with his coat of fur stand on end as he hears it too.

“Michael you smell that scent?” Mike nods “Its strange almost feminine but alien in nature” There’s a knock at the front door. Eric relaxes thinking it’s a next door neighbor

“Hmm I wonder who that could be?” Eric walks over to the door using his physic seeing power, which happened to kick in at the moment he smelled the scent.

Opening the door Eric slowly turns to Michael who is standing in front of the couch.

“You don’t have a date tonight with a were-human do you?” Michael frowns “No why do you ask?” Eric blinks and points out the open front door into the dark “Well there’s one here a female in pajamas and she’s looking at me like im going to be her next meal”

Michael waits to respond as he processes this info. “CLOSE THE DOOR STUPID!” Eric slams the door shut and leans against it breathing out as his heart races.

“That was close!” Michael says breathing hard “Mike do you think she could have been infected like us?” Eric “I don’t know… It could be a real human being… ERIC!”

A hole is punched in the door as a hairless petite hand wraps around Eric’s neck and strangles him. “AHHHHHHH this is just like a movie man!” Eric ever calm says “Mike shut up and stop yelling the rest of the world will hear! Look we have to get her into the house and then subdue her with our transformed selves!”

“Huh?” Michael blinks “You watch Power Rangers too much” Eric smiles and then gags before saying “Mike im sure we can change also! I studied the formula plans more closely and the DNA in it is human so we can enhance our powers even further if we change!”

Michael nods then goes and grabs a sword he got from a catalogue. “What are you doing with that thing?” Mike smiles wickedly “I think anger triggers the change the first time so…”

Michael slashes Eric’s arm. Eric blinks and screams at Michael “What the hell! You cut yourself not me yourself man!” Eric uses his rage and suddenly all his fur begins to recede and so does his tail as it shortens until it vanishes into his body.

“Eric you’re doing it!” Suddenly Eric looks up with eyes filled with power and something else.

Grabbing the arm around his neck Eric yanks his attacker through the front door shattering it. “Kick ass Eric! Ya go boy!” Eric looks at his attacker and uses his powers to scan her and realizes its ZigZag as she speaks. “YOU somehow did this to me!” Eric runs a hand through his brown hair.

”My bad?” Zigzag leaps on Eric and starts to punch him in the face rapidly. Michael tries to pull her off as she cries hitting Eric who lies there taking the hits. Mike pulls ZigZag off of Eric

“Calm down we can talk this out!” Zigzag turns to Michael. “Oh like you want to talk” Zig knocks Mike out with a kick to the forehead then kicks Eric.

Eric leans up and then frowns and then growls showing some teeth. “Stop it alright?” Zig Zag who is taller than Eric grabs him by his shirt collar and lifts him roughly. “My career and life is ruined now… When I woke up like this I knew you caused it with that damn scratch WHY?”

“I didn’t know my problem was virulent not like that” Eric sheds a tear. “They already took my sister away and my mom and father were more than likely bribed to leave us alone… Why should this be any different? Go ahead use your new strength and kill me take my life too! I have no need for it or anything associated with it!”

Eric closes his eyes and waits “No… I wont” Eric opens his eyes “Why?” “ During your speech you changed back”

“Huh?” Eric looked down and realized he was a feline again. “Teach me” “Im new at this too” ZigZag frowns then smiles “Oh I guess ill just calm down then” ZigZag drops Eric on the ground and sits on his couch fuming trying to calm down as Michael wakes up. “Whoa cool you made her submit” ZigZag punches Mike out again and he spins and lands in a heap at her feet.

Eric smiles “You do know if you keep hitting him he’s going to lose what common sense he has left”

As the moments ticked by Zig felt her anger leave her mind and soul. Then she noticed “Im a tiger striped skunk again!” ZigZag was overjoyed. Eric and Michael gawked at her just noticing how stunning she was. “What? You boys just noticing me?” ZigZag said with a wink showing her teeth the brother’s nod. “Funny you’re the first who didn’t notice my body the first time we met”

Eric and Michael nod “You can stop staring now like I am a piece of meat” Eric stops and smiles laughing. “I was talking to Michael… Eric can you see?” Eric whistles innocently as Michael says “Lucky bastard with his psychic sight” Eric blushes and ZigZag raises an eyebrow. “Some how I don’t think I want you to explain this psychic sight thing”

The present

”So how do you think about your human form after having it for a while?” Eric says running a finger across his stitches “Its okay Eric but” Zig strikes a pose and flashes her smile “This is much more appealing” Eric smiles as Michael faints. “Oh well he’s hormonal again hahahaha” Zigzag and Eric share a laugh.

Sabrina on the other hand smiles as she leans against the door. After shoving her boyfriend into a cab. She told Chris she would drop his car off at his place later. Sabrina creeps away “So that’s there secret he he I wonder should I say anything to Amy? In fact she’s on duty tonight!”

Sabrina walks calmly to Amy’s nurse’s station and smiles brightly at her. “Hey Sabrina how’s your cute friend?” Sabrina narrows her eyes “Are you implying something about Eric and me?” Amy smirks “Yes but is he alright?” Sabrina smiles “No he’s been through a lot in his life but he should pull through” Amy sighs “I meant after his attack” Sabrina giggles

“Oh he’s fine but listen have I got something to tell you!”

The next day

Anthony sits in his office remembering the taste of Michael’s blood on his tongue. “I must feast on him! But that comes later right now” Anthony turns to his subordinates.

“How are my businesses?” A subordinate speaks “Well we have started to hire new actors for some more films and we are branching our drug operations into the next state over”

Anthony smiles “Excellent… Are the plans for the trap for Eric proceeding?” A neatly dressed Raccoon stands “Yes I have his sister. She wasn’t easy to capture but we have her” The Raccoon’s cell phone rings he answers and after a few moments sighs. Anthony growls and shifts into his were-human form and steps behind the raccoon.

”Sir… She’s escaped… After killing her double…” Anthony twists the Raccoons head off and drops his body and speaks to his head. “Ah poor Davidson I knew him well… Don’t disappoint me number two your now number one”

Anthony changes back to normal and cleans his paws then leaves after calling for others to dispose of the corpse. “Don’t worry sir” A black furred panther says “I wont”

Meanwhile

Eric Is helped into the studios by his brother and Sabrina ZigZag smiles “Don’t suit up today your needed in Zig’s office you lucky kitty you. You too Sabrina” Eric smiles at Mike “Don’t confuse my business with her with your perverted thoughts bro. Sides im with Angela”

Sabrina helps Eric even though he doesn’t need it into ZigZag’s office. Entering Eric trips and falls on his nose.

“Owww” Zigzag has a grave look on her face as Eric stands rubbing his nose. “Sabrina what did you do to her! She’s like totally depressed!” Sabrina smiles “What how could you tell? Unless you can see!” Eric sits and takes off his shades guessing the answer and looks at Sabrina directly.

“I knew it you can see besides being able to transform into a human” ZigZag stares at Sabrina “Eric should we dispose of her?” Sabrina suddenly tenses up. “No we shall make her one of us” Eric says with a wink. “Ha ha ha ha ha ha” Sabrina laughs and Zigzag and Eric start to laugh as Sabrina wipes the sweat off her forehead. “Are you messing with me?” Eric smiles “Yes and Sabrina you shouldn’t have learned what you know… Its dangerous”

“For me?” Zigzag smiles “For all of us” Sabrina shrugs “Okay so what now your going to lecture me on how not to be nosey?” ZigZag shakes her head no “Well since your so interested I should infect you to show you how it feels…” Sabrina stands up “What!?”

Eric leans back in his seat “This is not a game Sabrina I know you want to know more but its best that you just stay out of our problem we can do this alone if we take care of a few things. Besides you owe us for the rescue of Chris” Sabrina now understands what her boyfriend was saying.

”Oh so now I understand what he was saying about seeing humans”

Zigzag sighs “Look just do your job Eric here will keep his as a writer… While Michael will” Sabrina laughs and says “Sits on his butt at work” Eric smiles

“Exactly, which is what you should be doing also in front of a computer!” Sabrina leaves and Eric shakes his head.

”She is going to be a problem” ZigZag frowns “Yes and you can be sure Eric that she told Amy” Michael enters the office as Eric replies with “I know I know… Damn I liked her and Amy as a friends but now the Men in black are going to replace her with a clone under their control since she knows too much now” Zig Zag looks sadden while Michael speaks up “Not unless we can stop it!”

Michael blinks “Yea! We can protect her and prevent those idiots from replacing her and Amy with clones…. Im sure we can stop them!” Michael stomps his left foot. Eric hmms and says

“Your suggesting that we take turns watching her when the mib have been doing the same for months since I showed up here at these offices and see when they grab her and scan her mind and prevent her kidnapping and cloning with our disguise forms?” “Oh so that’s what you call turning human?” ZigZag says tapping her nails with a smirk on her desk “Yes basically”

Mike smiles “Let me check my notes to make sure” Eric smiles at his brother and thinks
out loud “Save Sabrina… Can we save that Amiga nut or will we fail horribly?” ZigZag flashes her smile “Yes we will save her and this time I want in” Michael frowns “You helping isn’t in my notes!”

Eric snatches his brothers notes “Hey! You didn’t tell us you had info on X’s next operation! I have a plan and this time it will take all of us working together” ZigZag stands up.

”What about Erica! We need to rescue her!” Eric and Michael roll there eyes “Your late in asking ZZ… She called me on my cell phone from home… She’s really sorry about running off like that but she… Kind of went nuts and killed her double at X’s studios… Ironic yet reasonable” Michael blinks “What is bro?”

Eric points up and speaks

”Erica tricking us into believing she’s not capable of being a murderer and then killing her double who was ruining her name after setting explosives up in the one place we would not think of looking after gaining our trust so she could complete her mission of killing us if she cant persuade us into going with her to become trained assassins leaving our lives of luxury behind.” Eric breathes in after his long sentence while the others blink and follow his finger.

ZigZag looks up at the flashing device and Mike does the same while uttering “OH SHI-” a loud explosion tears through the studio.

End of chapter 6

As always you can reach me at Mike_Charger@hotmail.com or at sonicmike@juno.com