<<<24 July 2057, 16:02—Predator and Prey >>>

Note to myself: never let Ocelot make brownies.

I'm getting ahead of myself, though, as usual. The first thing I should say is that, for good or ill, Dragon Security is alive and well for at least the next five years. We were even mentioned in the dragon's will. I should feel flattered, I suppose, that such a being would have taken enough notice of us to mention us in his will, but I'm still feeling morose about the whole thing.

When we returned to Seattle, the four of us decided to stage something of a private wake for our departed patron. I don't remember much about the subsequent evening's activities, except that they involved vast quantities of alcohol and the previously mentioned brownies, which I think must have contained more than brownie mix. I didn't ask. I thought I'd put that sort of thing behind me after I left college, but I suppose it was for a good cause. I think Joe recorded the event, but I don't want to see it.

Felt miserable the next day. Would really rather not spend too much time thinking about that either.

Everyone wanted to take a long break, so I wasted no time in returning home for awhile. It was quite nice to be able to relax for awhile. I told Aubrey about the whole Dunkelzahn situation-- he was appropriately impressed and shocked by our involvement; naturally he'd heard about the assassination. I think everyone on Earth heard about the assassination.

Returning to Seattle six weeks later, I met up with the rest of the team and we contacted Harry. As luck would have it, he had a job available, and, as he said, "it involved travel." We told him that we'd go anywhere except back to Chicago.

We should have been more specific. I suppose I'm pleased, since I've never been to Amazonia, and I'm looking forward to the chance to study some of the local flora and fauna. Too bad that it looks like we'll be needing to do it with a rather disagreeable set of travelling companions.

It's not easy for me to hold my tongue and listen to the self-important hot air coming out of two of the three scientists we're supposed to guard (while they go off seeking a rare kiwi plant that grows only in the Amazonian forest). It's even harder for me to keep quiet when they treat me and the rest of the team as if we were merely hired muscle. I'm working on it, but I don't think I've been terribly successful. I think 'Wraith is chafing at the treatment as well.

In addition to what appears to be two metahumans who don't like humans, we've also got our guide, a gentleman by the name of Bischo, who doesn't seem to like metahumans--or at least he doesn't like self-important metahuman scientists. Trying to keep order between these two warring camps while managing to hold our own tempers is, I suspect, going to be more challenging than dealing with the threats that are likely to come our way.

But then again, I've been wrong before.