They walked in silence back to Kev's apartment, Gus's heavy footsteps a counterpoint to Talon's lighter tread.
Talon, his curiosity apparently piqued by the earlier mention, broke the silence. "Mr. Gus," he began, his voice a low rasp, "what is an Orange Alert?"
Gus glanced back at Talon, his reptilian eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn't Rex train you?" he grunted.
Talon's feathers ruffled almost imperceptibly. "It must have slipped his mind," he replied, his tone carefully neutral.
Gus shook his head, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "An Orange Alert means Rex is overriding protocol. Something so important has happened that Rex needs full autonomy."
Talon absorbed this information, his sharp gaze thoughtful. "Does this happen often?"
"Not recently," Gus admitted, his voice a low rumble. "A few years back, Mr. Fang stopped going out on the town, and things have been quiet." He paused as they reached Kev's apartment door. "Relatively quiet, anyway."
Kev unlocked the door and they entered. Gus looked around Kev's now familiar living room. "When I couldn't find you here earlier, I panicked," Gus admitted, his voice a low rumble. "Didn't know if I'd need to check every room. Glad Talon over here mentioned where his room was."
Talon nodded. "When I invited you over, I didn't think it would be for this," he said, his voice a dry rasp.
Gus chuckled. "I'm here for work. If I'm up here in the club, that means something needs working on."
Kev went to his room to find his discarded clothes. From the living room, Talon asked, "Do you get bored down at the security checkpoint?"
Gus shrugged his massive shoulders. "I've got a radio down there, so it's not so bad. Got a good book I've been reading."
Talon's interest piqued. "Oh, I've been reading a bit lately too," he said. "What are you reading?"
Gus coughed and looked away, a faint flush creeping up his scaly neck. "Oh, nothing you'd be interested in," he mumbled, his gaze suddenly fixed on a non-existent spot on the wall.
Kev returned, holding the clothes he wore the night before – the sleek black suit with the silver pinstripes. "Good thing I haven't dropped my laundry off yet," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Gus nodded. "The cleaners would find anything," he said, his voice a gravelly rumble. "I've just got to confirm it." He gestured for Kev to hold out the clothes. Kev complied, and Gus waved his detector over the suit, both front and back. The device remained silent. "Looks like we are all set," Gus declared.
Kev nodded and put his clothes back in his bedroom.
Talon, who had been observing the process, spoke up. "Can I do this next time?" he asked. "It seems simple enough."
Gus looked at Talon, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Let's hope there isn't a next time."
"Mr. Fang has gone out quite often recently," Talon persisted. "It might be easier."
Gus patted his handheld detector. "Only one of these in existence, and I'm responsible for it. Sorry, Talon, but this is my job."
Talon inclined his head slightly. "I did not mean to intrude."
"Don't worry about it," Gus said, his tone becoming a bit more confiding. "Kaiote made this, and she told me if it breaks, then I'm responsible. Easy enough for me to understand."
Kev returned from his bedroom, his arms now full of dirty laundry. "Might as well drop this stuff off now," he announced.
Gus nodded. "Well, you two get back to it," he said. "I'm back to the checkpoint to fill out the report."
"Thank you, Mr. Gus," Talon said, his voice a respectful rasp. "And sorry again for my sister."
Gus chuckled, the sound deep and rumbling. "She's a feisty one." With that, Gus exited the apartment.
Kev chuckled as the door closed behind Gus. "How do you know Gus?" he asked Talon.
"He works here, like us," Talon replied simply, holding open the door for Kev, who was still laden with laundry.
As Kev stepped out into the hallway, Talon continued, his voice a low rasp, "Sabrina can't roll her chair through the metal detectors, so she needs to be hand-scanned. You can imagine how she reacts."
"Oh, okay," Kev said, picturing the scene with amusement. "Good thing Gus seems professional."
Talon locked Kev's door and followed him to the laundry chute. "Sabrina gave him a real earful yesterday when we left," he admitted, a hint of a smile in his voice.
Kev dumped his clothes down the chute. "So where did you go?" he asked, turning to Talon. "I would have really rather had you around than Rex last night."
Talon shifted his weight, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Oh, uh, sorry," he mumbled, his usual confidence faltering slightly.
Kev frowned, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "You two just vanished. I thought we had a pretty good time yesterday."
"Yesterday was good," Talon confirmed, his voice still low. "I just, uh..." He hesitated, his wings twitching almost imperceptibly.
Kev looked at Talon, waiting for him to continue.
Talon finally met Kev's gaze, his expression earnest. "Sabrina doesn't like to talk about her appointments," he explained, his voice a soft rasp. "She says they are a bummer."
Kev felt a pang of sorrow for Sabrina, imagining the frustration and tedium of constant medical check-ups and procedures. "I don't need to know the details," he said gently, understanding Talon's reluctance to elaborate.
"I will let you know if I won't be around next time," Talon promised, his gaze steady.
Kev nodded, appreciating the gesture. "Should we not bring her to see Perry?" he asked, his thoughts shifting to the injured owl man. "I was thinking about checking in on him after we eat."
Talon shook his head, a definite no. "No, she doesn't know him anyways," he said, his voice firm. "I don't want her causing any problems."
Kev grinned. "I don't think she could one-up your introduction to Vlad," he teased.
Talon frowned, his feathers ruffling slightly at the memory. "I know," he muttered, clearly still embarrassed by the incident.
"Well," Kev said, a playful glint in his eyes, "why don't we go check on him now? Horns should keep Sabrina's interest for a little while."
Talon considered for a moment, then nodded. "I would like to see Perry too," he admitted, his voice a low rasp.
They descended the grand staircase, the usual vibrant energy of the club still a few hours away. As they passed the bar, Kev remembered the previous night's commotion. "Horns and Dale got into a little scuffle last night," he remarked.
Talon's head turned slightly. "Is Mr. Dale okay?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of concern.
"I think so," Kev replied. "He was talking with Fang when I brought Horns upstairs." They continued their walk, passing the grand theater and the imposing entrance to the fighting pit.
Talon glanced back at Kev. "Mr. Horns looked pretty rough," he observed. "How did Fang subdue him?"
Kev glanced back at Talon, a small, almost proud smile on his face. "I broke up the fight before it started," he said.
Talon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That is impressive," he admitted. "Mr. Horns is..." Talon paused, searching for the right word. "...big."
They reached Vlad's office door. This time, Talon stepped in front of Kev and knocked firmly.
Vlad opened the door, his slender frame draped in his long white coat. Kev couldn't help but shudder; there was something about the bat man's quiet intensity and nocturnal habits that reminded him of a vampire. Vlad looked at Talon, a dry, almost amused expression on his face. "Look who learned how to knock."
"Hello, Vlad," Kev greeted, stepping forward. "We were hoping to check in on Perry."
Vlad sighed, a soft, papery sound. "Perry was just about to rest. Gus barged in not too long ago and interrupted." He shot a pointed look at Talon. "Guards." He then gestured for them to enter.
The medical room was cool and sterile, the scent of antiseptic hanging faintly in the air. A simple cot had been set up in one corner. Perry was lying on his stomach on the bed, his broken wing strapped tightly against his back with clean white bandages. He looked over as they entered, his one good eye focusing on them. "Hoo-hello, Kev. Talon," he hooted softly, his voice a little weak.
Talon sat stiffly on the small wooden chair near the door, his sharp eyes darting nervously towards Vlad, who was now tidying some instruments on a metal tray. Kev walked over to Perry's bedside. "How are you holding up?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Perry let out a raspy chuckle that turned into a series of coughs. "Hopefully better than those car thieves," he wheezed.
Kev placed a reassuring hand on Perry's good wing. "Don't worry about them. Rex handled it."
Perry grinned, a faint but genuine smile. "That's good. I'd rather be in here than having to fight Rex."
Vlad, who was meticulously cleaning a pair of forceps, looked over. "Someone should tell that cat to rein it in," he said, his voice a dry whisper. "Can't think of a week where I haven't had to stitch someone up from his claws."
"Still," Perry hooted softly, "at least he doesn't go all out. Stitches are easier than amputations."
"Indeed," Vlad murmured in agreement, his gaze flickering towards Talon.
Talon shuddered visibly, his wings twitching slightly. He looked at Perry, his sharp eyes filled with a rare display of guilt. "Mr. Perry," he said, his voice a low rasp, "I'm sorry I wasn't around last night."
Perry managed another weak smile. "Don't worry about it, Talon. I don't think there's anything anyone could have done. I was watching the car when it happened."
Kev felt a fresh pang of guilt. If I hadn't insisted Fang pay his respects at the graveyard, he thought, if I hadn't told Fang my secret, we might have been back at the car before Perry was attacked. The weight of his choices pressed down on him.
Talon leaned forward, his voice hushed. "Did... did they target your wing because you're a bird?"
Perry was silent for a long moment, his good eye clouded with a distant pain. Vlad sighed, the sound like dry leaves skittering across pavement. "You know how it is, Talon," he said, his voice heavy with a weary understanding. "There are so many who are envious of flight."
Vlad nodded, his gaze distant. ". It's... a deeper resentment. Flight is a freedom many crave but cannot attain. They see it, they envy it, and for some, that envy curdles into malice." He paused, his thin lips forming a grim line. "An easy target, a broken wing. It's a cruel way to ground someone, to bring them down to their level."
Talon's feathers rustled. "But why? Why such bitterness?"
Perry let out a soft, pained hoot. "They don't understand it," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "The sky... it's a different world. They're stuck on the ground, looking up."
Vlad, however, interjected, his voice a dry counterpoint. "It's not solely a mammal-on-avian issue, Talon," he stated, setting down his forceps with a click. "As a bat, I've encountered similar hostility. Mammals, reptiles... it makes no difference to some. They see wings, they see something they don't possess, and they lash out." He gestured with a delicate, clawed hand. "It's not about being a mammal. It's about the lack of flight. The grounded ones often resent those who can soar above their limitations."
Talon ruffled his feathers, a ripple of unease passing through him. "I have heard passing comments while helping my sister," he admitted, his voice a low rasp. "No one has dared to confront me about such things to my face."
Perry hooted softly, a note of admiration in his voice. "Because you're tough. I've never seen anyone but the managers challenge Rex like you do."
Talon's sharp gaze flickered to Perry. "Do you really have to deal with such... patheticness often?"
Vlad sighed, the sound like rustling parchment. "Years ago, when I first started here," he said, his voice a dry whisper, "just working for Mr. Fang offered relief from those sorts of things. Everyone in the city knew of Fang. He was in the news nearly every day."
Perry nodded, his good eye looking distant. "It's been a while," he hooted softly. "I usually forget about it. Working at the club every day is so different than city life."
Kev finally spoke, his voice quiet. "I'm glad it wasn't worse. Fang was really upset when he saw what was happening."
Perry looked at Kev, his one good eye filled with a surprising intensity. "I'm sorry," he hooted softly.
Kev was confused, shaking his head. "Sorry? You were brilliant, Perry. I would have given up those keys if I was confronted like that."
Perry managed a faint smile. "Thanks, but once I heard those thugs say they thought it looked nice, I knew I couldn't. That isn't just a nice car, it's a fully customized WX-900 with a full custom suspension and stab-proof tires. Those lowlifes wouldn't even know how to treat a vehicle like that."
Kev grinned, a sudden, irreverent thought striking him: Perry was more in love with the car than loyal to Fang.
Vlad, who had been silently observing, interjected, his voice a dry rasp. "And that mechanical contraption cost you. Mr. Fang can always buy new things, but I cannot fix every ailment." He looked pointedly at Perry's injured wing.
Perry let out a soft, appreciative hoot. "Don't sell yourself short, doc," he said, his voice gaining a bit of strength. "I wouldn't have anyone else fix me up."
Vlad smiled, a rare, almost gentle expression. "I've worked on many birds, but never a Strigiformes," he mused, his gaze shifting from Perry's wing to Talon, then lingering on Kev. "It's always exciting to understand a new skeleton."
Kev looked away, a shiver running down his spine for at the implication. "Well, Perry," he said, his voice a little too bright, "I'm glad you're going to be okay. I think we'll leave so you can get some rest." Talon nodded and stood, his sharp eyes also avoiding Vlad's.
"Vlad," Kev said, turning to the bat man, "maybe I'll swing by tomorrow for a shave. Seems like you've already done a lot today."
Vlad nodded, a faint smile playing on his thin lips. "I look forward to your visit. Hopefully, no one ends up in the chair before you."
Talon stepped forward, his posture protective. "I'll be guarding Mr. Kev tonight," he stated, his voice a low rasp. "If someone is hurt, it won't be one of ours."
Perry hooted softly. "Give 'em hell for me, Talon."
Vlad's gaze drifted back to Kev, a clinical curiosity in his dark eyes. "If the human is injured," he said, his voice a dry whisper, "I don't mind taking a look."
Kev laughed nervously, a feeling of unease prickling his skin. "Bye!" he said quickly and exited the medical bay, wanting to put as much distance as possible between himself and Vlad's unsettling interest in his anatomy. Talon nodded a curt farewell to Vlad and followed Kev out.