Fox Life

When they were given more details, Iris found out that her aunt had sent the email from a local rich man's home. It was a mansion on the outskirts of the city which was surrounded by a large amount of land. This made it so no one could get close to it.     

"I don't think it's a good idea to go right now," Kyro said. Both he and Sophie weren't fond of the idea of just rushing to the enemy stronghold without doing a proper investigation.     

Iris wanted to just go over, but she let herself be convinced by them in the end. It would be more likely that they would manage to get her aunt out if she listened to people who were more experienced with stuff like that, though she wasn't sure what 'that' in this case referred to.     

Gale's people seemed professional so she trusted that they knew what they were doing even if she didn't.     

In two days, they were ready. The plan on which they decided on was both stupid and amazing at the same time. Iris just wondered why had they taken two days to come up with it when it was exactly like what she'd suggested at first.     

When they reached the mansion's gate, Kyro glanced down at Iris who was a fennec in his arms. He seemed to be asking if she was ready, and she nodded. They were going into the enemy's lair, but at least they were doing something. Iris had began to go stir crazy from all the waiting around while they debated on what to do.     

The guards let the car drive through, and Iris watched green pastures pass by. The scenery didn't seem to be familiar to her at all.     

Once the driver stopped near the mansion, Kyro stepped out and was welcomed by a butler who brought him into the house. They were told that Master Johnson was waiting for them in the tea room.     

Iris' heart beat faster as they walked through lavishly decorated corridors. Kyro's hands around her were comforting, but the two of them were going to meet the mastermind behind everything that had happened to her family. Or at least one of his descendants.     

The man was a rich second-generation kid, without any occupation or aspirations. From what they had learned, he lived a life of no note: partying sometimes, going to some social gatherings, but most of the time remaining out of publicity.     

In a few moments more, the butler opened the door to the tea room where a man of thirty or so sat in a plush chair that looked like a throne. It was embroidered with gold and red, giving the man a royal feel, but the person himself didn't have that air.     

He looked… like any other person. There was no special scar or inner light to set him apart from others. No dark aura or anything. He was even dressed in light blue and wore round glasses.     

"Welcome, welcome to my humble abode," he said from his seat, but didn't stand up to greet them. "It's a pleasure to meet such a distinguished man as you Mr. Hemming."     

"Same here," Kyro answered in a polite tone, but his words lacking even fake consideration. He sat down on the chair opposite the man, which was distinctly less furnished and expensive.     

The stranger smiled at them and put away his book. "So what do I owe this pleasure to?"     

"Do you prefer to play games or can we get to the point?" Kyro asked with a cold detachment. If Iris didn't know better, she could have sworn he was bored and wanted to leave.     

His straightforwardness startled their host, but the man quickly regained his composure. He smiled again and asked the butler to bring them tea. "As you wish then. You've gotten in the way of my research, destroying one of my labs and now you're even interrupting me at home. How would you explain yourself Mr. Hemming?"     

Kyro answered him that he wouldn't have done it if he had known who it belonged to, but that he needed something from there. Then, with only little care for decorum, he let their host know that he wasn't a man to be pushed around.     

At first, Iris followed their conversation, trying to understand the underlying meanings, but there were so many she barely caught half of them. When their enemy got into it to the point that he no longer saw anything besides Kyro, Iris slipped to the ground and out of the room.     

It was part of their plan that she would leave to find her aunt and try to make her talk. If they were lucky, her aunt could tell them how to take down the whole organization in one fell swoop.     

The corridors were long and Iris thought she had lost herself when she heard a sound in the distance. It was nothing more than a person scribbling on paper, but she wondered who that could be. On light feet, she approached the room and saw that the door wasn't fully closed.     

Inside, her aunt sat at a table and worked on something. Her whole attention was on it, and she gave no indication that she'd heard Iris' entrance. For a few moments, Iris just waited, hoping she'd look down, but no, it didn't happen.     

They didn't have forever though, since Iris didn't know when Kyro's conversation would be finished. If she didn't return by then, they'd be in deep trouble.     

Iris whined in a low voice, shocking the woman before her. Aunt Maddie jumped, turned around, then pushed back with her chair as if she'd seen a ghost. "What are you doing here?" she asked in horror.     

The room's door flew open and people rushed in with protective gloves to catch Iris.