TAMED

To be, or not to be

Vince and Ares sat together on the sofa. Levi and two strangers dressed in business formal clothes sat across from them on the opposite sofa. Even though he didn't necessarily feel threatened, Vince couldn't help but feel tense. If anything went wrong he could end up in prison right? Would it be some kind of homicide charge? Or would it be theft of government property? The list of potentials was unending. Beside him, Ares sat quietly. He didn't seem worried in the slightest, though he did seem bored. Typical Ares.

"So, to be clear, you had zero involvement in the killing of the individuals who attacked you both?" One of the strangers, a man, questioned. He was a taller man with a more athletic build than one would expect from a government investigator. His hair was slicked back and his beard was freshly trimmed. His eyes were somewhat almond shaped and sat beneath a set of thick, sternly set, eyebrows. Though his demeanor came off as a bit intimidating (a lot intimidating), he was quite handsome and because his eyes were a lighter blue, it seemed to give him a more friendly image. He was like a tamed shark just waiting for a chance to nab any form of prey.

Vince swallowed hard but held his confidence.

"Yes."

"Ares, who attacked first? Was it you and Vincent, or was it the opposing group?"

The Hound remained silent. His small, muscular frame, seemed juvenile within his white, long sleeve shirt. The green triangle logo symbolizing the Hound project and the numbers 3170 on the back brought some validation for Vince. All of this had happened so fast, it was sometimes difficult to believe it was real.

"Answer the question Ares." Levi assisted, being the middle man for the kid.

Following the orders from his handler, Ares sat forward.

"The opposing group attacked us first." The Egyptian replied, his vibrant green eyes seemed to wander about the room. His right leg bounced up and down as he thought about the battle which had taken place. His heart rate accelerating as he remembered the blood, a faint smile coming to his face. Levi sensed the change.

"Easy now. Don't get worked up." He spoke calmly, fighting down the nicotine craving that was clawing into his brain. The meeting had been going on for about an hour, and things were just wrapping up. The woman, who sat beside the male investigator, continuously typed on her small laptop; capturing every last word that was uttered.

"Last few questions." The man stated ostensibly. He sat forward and looked down at a piece of paper in his large hands. Vince was starting to sweat, he just wanted this to be over with.

"With your training, you could have easily knocked them unconscious, or even apprehended them. So then why did you choose to kill them?"

Levi tensed, he didn't want Ares to answer that. He knew what he would say...he knew why he killed them without a thought. It was simply because it was fun. To Ares, killing people was all a game. The more blood and the more swiftly he could take them down, the more points he got. However, an answer like that could act as a signature to his own death sentence. A killer without a conscience just couldn't be permitted to live in a world of justice. Then again, the ones he killed did attack first, and they were likely after him as an asset, so perhaps that would work to his benefit.

The three waited silently for the ex-soldier's reply. He seemed to think carefully on this, which surprised his handler. The other surprising thing was that his overly excited smile began to fade. Finally, he brought his eyes up to meet those of his interrogators.

"Because they threatened Vince." He explained, a rather serious expression developing on his face. The room was silent for a moment, everyone was equally surprised. The woman who tapped down his reply gave him a very small, almost invisible smile, but it was there. Levi was taken aback. For the first time...Ares had shown that he could actually care for another person.

"So, Vincent, can you can attest that Hound 3170 was performing his duty as a trained soldier by protecting a civilian from an attack which would have resulted in severe harm or death?" The man asked, carefully articulating his words to be clear and defined.

Vince's lips parted as he gathered his thoughts, his heart racing a mile a minute.

"Yes."

The computer keys ticked away with his reply. Ares was currently preoccupied with a loose string that hung from the end of his sleeve. He clearly didn't realize the depth of what he had said. He proved he was capable of human compassion, but also proved he had the drive to protect those he cared about, something he had never done before.

"Final question. Vincent, do you swear to keep Ares, Levi, this house, the events that occurred, and any other information about the existence of them and the Hound Project, a secret from anyone you encounter, even friends, family, and colleagues?"

That was blunt and a bit threatening.

"S-Sure..." He replied nervously. Good looks or not this dude was scary.

The man raised a questioning brow.

"I-I mean yes! Yes I swear!" Vince corrected, waving his hands in front of himself as a way to dismiss his stupidity.

The investigator nodded and handed the papers he had to the woman beside him.

"I will deliver this report to the council, until then I hope you guys can keep him under control. I don't know what they are going to say, but I should be able to help at least a little. Keep him here, do not let him leave the property."

"You two go outside for a bit." Levi ordered, Vince was a bit confused at the sudden excusal but followed Ares out regardless. The three stood from the couches and watched as the boys walked out the front door and into the courtyard.

"Levi..." The man began, Levi sighed.

"I know..."

"This doesn't look good. Self-defense or not..." He paused. "You need to be prepared for the worst. If they say that he is too dangerous and order him euthanized..." He paused again. "I noticed how attached you are to him, this is gonna sound harsh but if you screw up again they will throw away the key..."

"I know, Michael...I am well aware-"

"Really? Because this is looking a hell of a lot like Pakistan all over again..." He forcefully placed a hand on Levi's shoulder, pulling him rather roughly. The ex-agent glared and took hold of the man's wrist, twisting it painfully and causing him to let go. The woman gasped and wanted to help, but knew that there was nothing she could do.

"Tch, shit. Alright, alright..." Michael hissed as his body was contorted in an uncomfortable way. "I'm just saying, don't make repeats of your past okay? I worry about you, we grew up together...I don't want to see you locked up." Levi released his hold on his long-time friend and sighed.

"I know. I'm not going to go to prison...and I'm not going to let them take Ares out. He isn't just some failed experiment. He is highly intelligent, able, compassionate, and he likes candy...did you know that? He has a future with me, and I am not going to let those pompous bastards take that away." He glanced over to the woman and gave her a playful smirk as he took note of her laptop. "Did you get all that darlin'?"

As the Italian left the house to join his boys Michael couldn't help but notice the devilish grin that accented his olive-toned face.

"Damn it Levi...What the hell are you up to..." Michael muttered as he massaged his still sore wrist.