There was no easy way to carry someone without being close to them above the city skyline, it was made all the more awkward when someone pointed it out which Zek did often, his constant request for snacks during the flight didn’t help the situation anyways, ”Look, if ya got a problem with me flying us there ya can take a cab have yer snacks there.” he said scoffing and rolling his eyes, it wasn’t like he enjoyed being this close to people. Well most people, he didn’t mind carrying Amythest like this.

”All I know is you’d be getting distracted and I’d be sitting around the aquarium looking like a bit of a putz while yer off having adventures without me and without June’s or me there you’d be a dead man.” he smirked, it was becoming a bit of a habit with them. Just being around Zek gave Carrick a great distraction of the impending boredom of classes the following day. It was always something.

”Don’t even know why you’d need yer duffle bag in the aquarium. Fighting sharks? No, they’d be too much trouble what with all them teeth. You were fighting the manatee weren’t ya?” Carrick asked chuckling but then getting very concerned for the sea cows.

”They steal a pastry from ya? Should start spreading the word, be less trouble fer everyone else.” he joked as he circled the aquarium below looking for an open window or a ceiling entrance. One that would be less likely to alert the authorities to them breaking and entering.

Zek noisily crunched a chip as he rifled through the bottom of his massive chip bag for more. Several crumbs fell to his chest before they were snatched away by the wind and became someone else’s problem. “Eh, cab’s are boring,” he said while chewing up some more chips. Chip bits might’ve sprayed out, which might’ve been flung by the wind in the general direction of Carrington’s face. “They’re worse than you about not having snacks.”

He snorted and nearly killed himself as a chip momentarily got stuck in his throat. “Please,” he said in lieu of bothering to defend himself. Okay, maybe not. “I don’t need you guys around, it’s just better with witnesses.” Zek noticed that people sometimes didn’t believe him when he talked about stuff he’d done. So he needed people around to verify his tales whenever the documentary series on his life came out.

He stuffed his mouth with more chips and adjusted the aviator’s goggles he bought for these rides.“I am offended that you would even suggest I’d fight a manatee,” Zek said, spewing even more chips into the wind that again might’ve been blowing chip shards into a certain Birdcat’s face. “The treaty is very clear.”

He knew Carl was joking about the pastry thing. Honestly, Zek wasn’t really into danishes anymore. He preferred bearclaws now. Which actually led him to why he needed to get his duffle bag back.

“Got me some bearclaws in it,” Zek said as the passed over a rooftop. He dropped a golden light on a skylight. The glass vanished. “Think you can fit through that?” he said, sticking the bag of chip crumbs out and dumping it into the wind which, Zek wasn’t sure but suspected, might’ve still been blowing back in the general direction of Catbird’s face.

His eyes passed a flying chip and his head adjusted accordingly to avoid another one to the face, the shifter made note to wipe himself off once they landed no doubt his shirt was covered in crumbs. ”I’m in the wrong form fer saddle bags slow me down too much and I don’t think the big guy would like ya eating on him. He’s more particular with messes than me.” the shifter said spotting a open skylight practically begging them to break into the place.

With a flick of the tail he began their decent, ”Pretty particular with yer witnesses. One walks through walls and the other flies. Both great methods fer a quick escape.” he said trying not to still be salty about the comment Zek made on their last adventure. Juniper was a quick, ‘we can’t get shot’ card he appreciated it as well numerous times.

”We’ll ya only fight on a sure thing otherwise you let me step in. Pretty sure it have the reach on ya and the weight.” he chuckled as he pulled his wings in as they dropped past the window or rather where it used to be.. His wings snapped open and he found the nearest platform over a tank closest to the window they came from.

Now on solid.... partially solid ground Carrick brushed off his shirt and ruffled his wings a bit sending shards of chips everywhere. Some of them landed in the tank below them creating ripples in the water. Several tropical fish rose to the top of the tank to snack on the potatoes. ”Bearclaws? We coulda stopped somewhere. You coulda come and got them in the morning.” he rolled his eyes.

”Ya keep up with the sweets I won’t be able ta carry ya.” he said looking over the railing to the rainbow of fish below them. His eyes turned to slits and he debated trying to pull one from the water. His tail flicked mischievously behind him.

“Maybe not, but the big guy could easily carry a minifridge,” Zek countered. He’d been the big guy before (thanks to that awful woman, may she die horribly and in agony). Although now that he was thinking of it, maybe he could invest in a saddle bad-type vest for Catbird. Or like a cargo vest with many many pockets, each pocket for a different snack!

Or maybe he’d just get one for himself because that sounded amazing!

Zek declined commenting on that other thing Casper mentioned. Just how “quick” they were in escaping was debatable. But it was more convenient than have to go through walls himself or bring his hang glider with him everywhere he went. Having mobile fliers just gave him more pockets for his own snacks and stuff.

He also just let Kraven believe he’d need his help in a fight. It was a bit adorable, really. How many fights and brawls had they already been in? And Featherbutt still thought Zek couldn’t handle anyone on his own? “Puh-lease, I’d only need you to step in if I had better things to do than fight something.” Such as raiding a buffet table. Or more accurately, swiping a buffet table.

Once they made it into the building and landed, Zek balled his chip bag up noisily and tossed it over the edge of the tank to the floor. Some janitor would clean it up. Probably. “But we are stopping somewhere. We’re stopping here! And technically it is morning,” Zek pointed out, opening his trenchcoat a bit to show Crusoe the dozen watches and pocket watches hanging there. It was well past midnight.

Zek turned and started climbing down the platform’s ladder. He’d already seen the fish, he just needed his bag, which was….in another part of the building. He thought. He made it to the floor between tanks and flipped Birdcat another type of bird. “MAybe if you were stronger, you wouldn’t have such problems,” Zek pointed out before pulling a map of the aquarium out of a pocket and opening it up in the light of the dimly-lit tanks.. Let’s see, the bag was probably somewhere by the shark tank….

“Hey, you know where the sharks are?” Zek hollered.

”I’d pay money to watch ya try to convince him to do anything.” he said smirking knowing both forms did what they want when they wanted to. They were apart of him and he hardly got to control them. Good luck to anyone else. Well, maybe the Princess would have the best luck. If she could convince his beast form and Carrick to get along she could probably convince all of him to do anything.

Oh?” he asked looking at the big blue fish with a yellow tail nipping at the floating potato crumbs. His tail flicking behind him, I can not step in next time then. Curious to see how ya fight. Just seen ya take punches up till now.” he said with a little chuckle. Carrick was used to fighting, so he didn’t mind but he liked to at least be acknowledged for stepping into Zek’s fights all the time.

”Eh, well ya got me there.” he said his eyes still stuck on the fish a clownfish swam to the top and started grazing on the flakes. ”Been working out, but even so. Yer gonna put on more weight than I can carry though.” he said opening his wings and flapping a few times till he was ground level with his partner in crime. ”Holster the bird, no need fer that.” he chuckled spotting an octopus floating by. His eyes started to follow that now.

”Probably by the sign that says, sharks?” he said pointing to the sign. He’d been here before a few months ago the first night he met Juniper, they didn’t have the best time here and with her power they made a quick escape it had been a while since he was last here.

”I mean, could be wrong.” he said as he started to walk towards the direction where the sign lead him. ”Every get the feeling yer being watched?” he asked curiously as he was being followed by a bunch of fish who were curious at the two walking on through.

Instead of putting any birds away, Zek found another one and flipped it at Crouton as well, sticking his very blue tongue out for good measure. He even wiggled both birds for good measure, especially after Beakbreath pointed out the shark sign. “I was testing you. You’re lucky you passed,” Zek said in a completely believable manner. That had totally been his plan the entire time. “Making sure you’re paying attention to your surroundings.”

Zek walked in the way the shark sign was pointing, making sure to get in front of Birdcat who clearly thought he was something special. I always feel like folks are watching me,” Zek said, still wiggling his middle fingers at Catbird. “That’s just to be expected when you’re as attractive as I am.” He walked under a small spotlight and it briefly illuminated his amazing hair.

“Now just keep your eyes out for my duffle,” Zek said. Then he nearly tripped over the leg of an unconscious security guard but caught himself. He kept strolling without missing a beat or even dropping his fingers. “I probably left it by the sharks. I had this whole plan about taunting them while eating the bearclaw, but then a dude and a girl got in a fight over who was dating this other dude and it got pretty intense. Made me forget all about my snacks.” It had also made him sixty bucks, thanks to an accurate and quickly-made bet.

“Didn’t even get a chance to see the megalodon fossil before security cleared the whole area out,” he complained absently as they passed by some jellyfish tanks. His footsteps squished a bit but otherwise didn’t make much sound in the occasional puddles. He was getting a major kick out of the mood lighting though - so many pretty colors! He was actually kinda jealous he could only make two colors himself.

”Oh? And what do I get fer passing? Next round of pints?” he asked hopeful but doubting Zek’s generosity. He only bought drinks when Carrick stepped in to one of his fights for him. Even then he was pretty sure Zek just walked out before the bill came. Maybe that was why they weren’t allowed back at a few of the places he used to frequent.

”Don’t think I ever needed help being aware of me surroundings.” he said flipping two birds right back at the sender. He had another beast constantly yelling in his head what to do who to fight or who he should try and... ”**** off.” he said lowering his fingers getting distracted by some bigger fish, ones that made his stomach growl as they swam by. ‘Fight!’ Carrick rolled his eyes ignoring the beast in his head. Why would he want to fight a giant fish?

Shaking his thoughts free he looked back to Zek, ”Well makes sense yer usually following me around. People are bound to be watching at that point.” he said smugly. His tail flicked in Zek’s direction his bodies equivalent of middle fingers without using the actual fingers.

”Great idea, pissing off the predators that can’t get to ya.” he said recalling the times he wanted to swipe at someone who through something through the bars to his cage. Usually it was easy enough to forget but it was the act of the insult he found most upsetting.

”Hopefully they don’t remember ya.” he said smirking looking around for a duffle bag. ”Ya know you should put a tag on it or something, maybe hot pink? Something easy to spot so ya don’t lose it all the time.” he said heading to the shark tank, ”Who won?” he asked having a feeling it was Zek.

“Yes, you get the honor of paying for the next round of pints. You passed another test! Congratulations!” Zek said without missing a beat. “Keep this up and soon you’ll be promoted from lackey to thug!” And if Catbird fell for that, Zek’d have to remember to come up with some other fake positions in case he ever slipped up in front of Clara. Sidekick? Assistant to the assistant? Whipping boy? Oh, now that one had potential!

He kept his fingers aimed at Birdcat and had even taken to walking backwards, his head swiveled around so he could still easily see where he was going. “You’re one to talk - I notice you aren’t exactly asking all these fish-things for a cup of sugar.” Zek heavily considered vanishing a section of glass and watching Caltrop fight an eel or octopus, but then he realized it probably wouldn’t be much of a fight. Weren’t birds allergic to fish or something? And Birdbrain was part bird or something.

They were making good time. It helped that there weren’t any crowds, just an occasional security guard napping on the job. One of them had clearly been on lunch during his nap and still had spaghetti sauce all over his face. “Eh, I never lost it before. Besides, pink would just clash with my coat,” he said, indicating his amazing outfit (while still double flipping Kittyhawk off). After all, the duffle only left his dimensions when he was actively using it. What could be safer than that?

“And the girl won, obviously. She started crying. Crowd booed the guy. Man, girls fight dirty!” Zek had been quite impressed.

They made it to the sharks. Most of the giant exhibit was just sharks swimming around in blue-lit water above and on most sides of them. Various displays and alcoves allowed different views and angles into the shark tank. Zek didn’t immediately see his duffle, but he heard a thump and saw a shadowy figure silhouetted in front of a tank. “Yo,” he called out. “Hey you, Shadowy Figure! You see a duffle bag lying around here?”

”Can’t wait!” Carrick rolled his eyes. His tail responded in kind with a flick of his tail aimed at Zek. Please, lackey? Carrick viewed himself as more of a jack of all trades, he broke things fixed them and then entertained making things easier for his friend. If Zek started to get boring then Carrick would have started charging more than just an occasional pint the ball boy never paid.

”Yeah, well. Part of my nature innit?” his stomach growled loudly as his eyes passed over some more fish who seemed to match their pace as they walked by as if taunting him. Challenging him. ‘Hungry’ this time it was from both forms. His stomach growled again and Carrick distracted himself with the fact that Zek always had snacks. Maybe he did need to bring some food for his flights.

Carrick’s hair stood on end by the end of Zek’s story so much so he missed the ending entirely. Something was... wrong. The shifter stopped thinking about food and looked around to find the source of his anxiety and found it as zek addressed the man.

“No.....” replied the figure still staring at the swordfish swimming in front of him. The shadowy figure was transfixed on the creature before him. ‘Fight!’ the voice echoed in his head. Carrick slowed and threw his hands on his head trying to seem less of a threat. They weren’t supposed to be here. It was after hours. ”Foreshadowing an problem.” he rolled his eyes to Zek who seemed casual as always. Too casual. Maybe because he never got into the fights. “Tell me boys....” the figure spoke as the fish swam away. The figure looked up with black eyes and turned to the two.

“Do ya know what lurks in the waters? Do ya fear the depths?” he asked as his beard started to draw Carrick’s attention. ‘Fight!’ the beard you see was a bunch of squid tentacles wrapping around itself and shifting as the man limped towards them.

“No? Alright, thanks anyways,” Zek said, immediately turning away from the shadowy figure and continuing his search. The duffle had to be in this area, just somewhere out of the way. Someone had better not have stolen it though - burning down a city took so much effort and really, Zek had better things to do that weekend.

He pulled a flashlight out of a pocket and switched it on. The after-hours lights were way dimmer than working-hours settings, which were already designed to cloak things in shadow. Normally Zek would’ve loved such stuff, but normally he’d also already have his own stuff. He flicked the beam over the the floor and the ceiling as he searched for the bag, but then caught stuff Shadowy Figure was saying.

Without turning around (or ceasing to flip Birdcat off with the hand that wasn’t holding the flashlight), Zek piped up, “If you don’t know what lurks in the waters, I’d say you came to the right place!” His flashlight momentarily lit up a few informational displays. “Can’t help ya much myself though, I ignored the lectures earlier today.” That and the whole dramatic fight and everything, so Zek really wasn’t too well versed on aquatic stuff.

Then Zek tsked as he slid around a column tank with some brightly colored tropical fish. “...nah, doesn’t really scare me,” he said. “Oh hey, think you could help us look for my duffle bag? It’s about yay long, darkish grayish blackish?”

A flick of irritation passed over the shadows expression. His tentacle beard thrashed for a moment as a smile draped over his face. He couldn’t see the eyes but the Irish thief did not want to see them. No doubt more creepy than the beard or the now visible jagged teeth that reflected the dim light from overhead. ”Yeah.... not much of a swimmer, love the stuff but water logged wings make it hard to do any diving... can tell ya what lurks in the sky though.” he said hoping it would be enough of a distraction for everyone for Zek to find his bag.

No such luck.

“I can show you boys if you’d like.... what lurks....”

”Nah mate, gonna be a no from me dog. I got plans later with a special gal, just figured I’d help out my mate here look fer his bag. Not like he can’t do it on his own but ya know. Many hands make light work and all. I’ll come back later fer a tour though. Doing a bang up job. Keep it up.” Carrick said ignoring his beast form who was screaming to attack. ‘Fiiiiight!!! Danger!’

Carrick looked back to Zek and then shook his head, ”Figure you’d have a tracker on it at this point. Amount of times ya misplace it.” he said debating to start flying to speed the process up. ”you set it under something?” Carrick asked Zek unaware that the was a duffle bag strapped to the mysterious tour guides back.

ek also didn’t particularly care to see what lurked….wherever the dude was talking about. All he cared about was his stuff. “So that’s a no, then?” Zek said. He was pretty sure the guy was declining to help. Whatever. He probably would’ve just slowed ‘em down. Birdbrain was almost as good at keeping up with Zek as Juniper was, and that was a rare talent, Zek had discovered.

Understanding dawned on him. “Oh, wait, I get it. You work here, dontcha?” Zek said, flashing the light up at the dude’s face. Looked like he was covered in worms or something. No wonder he was only working nights. “Sorry pal, we’re just here for my stuff then we’ll be gone.”

He turned back to scanning the floors and such with his light. “I don’t need a tracker!” Zek said to Clint, renewing his bird-flippy-ness as the bird-cat-boy. “And for the record, this is only the second time I’ve lost my duffle! Off the record, it’s the third time, but the Mouse will get angry if I break the NDA I signed!”

“But I thought I did just set it on the ground, like I normally do….” Zek trailed off with a frown. THen his face lit up. “Oh wait! I have a tracker after all!” Zek whirled around, the light strobing everywhere, and he practically charged over to Winged Wonder. He kept a middle finger aimed at Birdcat while he reached into his trenchcoat with the other hand before pulling out another bearclaw. He pushed it at Craig’s face.

“Here, take a whiff of this and follow the scent trail to the others!”

The figures face contorted under his hood and other physical features started to become clearer to the shifter the more he stared. His stomach growled some more and he felt a certain uneasiness about the man like he was about to do something that would put them in danger. He stepped once and one of the feet looked more like a peg leg than anything. Was this guy a pirate? ”You a pirate?”

Carrick missed most of what Zek was staying during the shifter’s stare down and snapped his attention back to his friend when the bear claw was shoved in his face. ”Where did ya get that?” he asked curiously. He was pretty sure that was just Zek’s ‘normal’ smell now he didn’t realize the man was now an ant magnet.

”Could have asked.” the shifter said rolling his eyes getting distracted from the possible threat that was the pirate. The Irishmen sniffed the fried dough and then lifted his head to the air sniffing. Other than the smell of rotten fish and well... fish Carrick’s eyes lit up. ”Ya sure ya haven’t seen a duffle bag?” he asked the hooded figure.

A pair of whiskers shot down from the hood and was cleaned off by one of the squid like tentacles that made the man’s beard up. ”You smell like dead fish, you a fisherman?” he asked before turning to Zek, ”Man has the bag on his back.” he said pointing to the strap that was now revealed with the limping steps the hooded figure made.

Zek blinked.

“It was in my pocket,” he said as he kept holding up the delicious delicacy for the winged dude to sniff out. It was the least the dude could do since otherwise he’d just been standing around like a lump on a dog (and therefore completely useless and deserving to be destroyed, as was anything else that touched a dog) and Zek decided to spare his pal from that fate.

And he was rewarded! Birdcat caught the scent! Zek stuffed some of the bear claw in his mouth. Okay, he stuffed the whole thing in his mouth and ended up looking like a chipmunk.

And Featherhead located the duffle. Zek’s eyes danced with eager excitement and anticipation. Until the location was named.

He stilled. He stopped chucking birds at Chris. He swallowed a large portion of the bear claw and his neck slowly swiveled in the dim and dappled light to afix on Wormbeard.

Now Zek looked like an angry chipmunk.

His body oriented itself to follow suit with his head and he stalked forward in the gloom. That. Wasn’t. Cool. He swallowed more bear claw. He extended a hand and spat out the rest of his treat.

“Give,” he said, beckoning once.

Carrick didn’t like being used like this, mainly because he kept forgetting he was capable of smelling more than others could then he thought about the other senses of his and how they were all better the average human senses. He looked down at his clothing and then to the stranger who smelled like a fishing boat. Even his sense of style was better than most. Zek was truly lucky to have him around.

With the bear claw out of his face and shoved into Zek’s mouth Carrick had a hard time understanding what he was saying. Apparently so did the stranger, the one who was trying to steal Zek’s prized duffle bag. Why did someone else want the thing? Usually it was packed with random gags and heavy things like bricks and a medieval mace. Was the stranger a larper? Did he need a new weapon?

”He said give it.” Carrick repeated, Zek wasn’t the most intimidating and neither was Carrick however the shifter added a low growl rumbling from his chest to get the point across. No one steals from his friends.... No one else stole from his friends!

“Oh? This here I found, meaning it’s mine now.... Seems heavy...” A lobster claw protruded out from under the cloak the stranger used to conceal himself from the other two, the claw lifted the bag off his shoulder and readjusted it. ”What the ****?” he responded, ”That’s why ya reek. Damn should shower or leave with the tide....” Carrick was no longer hungry. The smell of fish only masked the smell he was smelling now, decaying seafood.