It was an odd feeling wearing a suit. It was the only thing they had that would actually fit him, and it was built for a griffon of a tad larger stature than him. Honestly he had not been concerned but Scootaloo had pointed out that his clothes were burnt, tattered and covered in soot. Unfortunately for the owner of the suit, he would not be getting it back. Though Copper guessed he wouldn't want it back now that the white frill of the sleeves was covered in oil and it was splattered where the jacket did not cover his chest. “Hand me that,” he said as he pointed to an odd tool. The assistant immediately handed it to him. Higger was his name, he was apparently the best clockwork master around, and in the employment of Scotland Yard. “What the hell even is this?” Copper said as he examined it.

It was a sort of odd bent tool with a ratchet type attachment at the end but for something he'd never even seen before. “What?” Higger blinked a few times at Copper. “It's a rire, it's for-”

Copper tossed it behind him into a pile. “Overcomplicated is what it is,” Copper grumbled. “Ah, now, you see this?”

“The neural processor?” Higger leaned in to get a better look at it.

“So that's what it's called...” Copper unceremoniously ripped it from its housing. “The older model had one as well.”

“I-I'm not surprised. It's required for interlinking with other very advanced clockwork as well as stations. It's how it receives it's programming.” Copper obviously made the griffon worried.

“Interesting...” Copper was examining it under one of the lights. The first question Higger had asked Copper was, 'Where did you receive your training?' to which Copper had replied, 'Never got any.'

It was obvious that he knew very little and this was a learning experience, but Higger was impressed with how quickly he could disassemble parts and be able to explain them and for the most part, what they do in the simplest terms. “You learned everything you know from the previous model, right?”

“Yes,” Copper said, answering that question for the third time. “As I said, I'm a fast learner and it was the first physical thing I learned from.” He was reconnecting the neural processor. “How long would it take for you to build something to be able to access this? Access it's programming?”

“I...don't think I could. It's more advanced than anything we have here, and the parts would be astronomically expensive.” Copper looked up at Higger in his oil stained lab coat. Higger responded by adjusting his glasses nervously. “Unfortunately Scotland Yard is only interested in stopping them, not using them.”

“Shame.” Copper turned Emily over slowly, so that she rested on her back. He had learned a lot in less than an hour. “Have you finished repairing the boiler?”

“Ah!” Higger turned quickly and produced the large metal canister looking device. “Yes.”

Copper would have preferred they not have such a large audience, but this was, as Higger described it, an autopsy viewing room. There were elevated seats surrounding them on an upper level and dozens of people there. Some of them were students, the rest of them police. Copper took the canister from Higger and reattached it inside Emily's chest. A few more connections and...

Her eyes snapped open, gazed around fanatically, caught sight of Higger first and her arm jabbed towards him. Then she stared at the stub, she was missing her forearm. “None of that now,” Copper said as he forced her to lay flat on the table with a forceful thump. Higger was scrambling over a table to get away. “You've been...disarmed,” Copper said with a smirk. There was a loud groan from the stands and Copper guessed that that had been Scootaloo.

The Emily stared blankly at him.

“I'll save you a bit of time assessing your damage. You're arm has been removed, your other is not connected to your control system, nor are your legs. Your arm is removed due to excessive damage, but the damage to your chest and boiler have been repaired.”

She continued to stare at him.

“Now then.” He sat down. “You do not have any sort of inhibitor that I could find, unlike the previous Emily, so that means you have a different process system to determine whether to answer or not. But my real question is...why did you respond to my question, if you did not have to?”

“Obviously it was programmed to,” someone from the stands piped in.

“I would have thought that if she had not refused to answer me the first time. Unless someone had put in exceptions to when it will say things, but that was a very specific situation. During shut down, recite your name?” There was a lot of chatter amongst the crowd as Copper pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Copper Feather.” The room went silent. “Why did you take Emily?”

“Which one? The previous Emily, or you?” The muttering flooded around the room again.

“This one.” Her face was showing confusion, which Copper could not tell if it was actual or faked.

“A lot of different reasons. Mostly to learn. But I could not let you simply be destroyed.” He was watching her face as she was speaking.

“You have stolen this one, for knowledge?”

“It is not stealing. You attempted to murder me, therefore you have been arrested.” Copper tilted his head to the side slightly. “Hm.”

“A clockwork can now be arrested? How interesting.”

“So who am I speaking to right now, if I might ask?” Copper was having a strange feeling.

“You are an observant one,” she was looking around the room.

“So, are you the Creator that I hear so much about?” There was silence, except for several people getting up.

“Very observant.” The Emily looked at him once again. “So, Detective Copper Feather...it seems that the reports I was given on you were quite wrong. And Higger...you are still working for them I see.” Higger was hiding behind a table. “You've done quite well, disabling all of my systems...”

“Yes, he's done a good job,” Copper said, frowning slightly. “Now, I do have to ask, are you going to be cooperative and tell me why someone hired you to take Scootaloo?”

“Oh I don't know. They offered me quite a lot of money, as well as...certain other things. Quite secretive about it as well.” There was an annoying smugness on her face now. “But now it seems you have one of my Emily's once again.”

“Yes, well...you made it personal going after Scootaloo. And if you aren't going to give me anything to go on, this is going to get get a lot more personal.” Copper stood up, looking down at her.

“Well that is unfortunate. Having such a...resourceful opponent might cause a problem.”

Copper reached down and switched her back off. He sighed softly as he sat back down. “Well, this is troublesome...” He looked over his shoulder as someone laid a hand on his shoulder, it was Scootaloo. “Hi,” he said with a slight smile.

“C'mon. We've got a job, right?” Scootaloo said with a smile.

He nodded and stood up, brushing himself off a bit. “Yeah, I know. Let's get going. Higger.” Higger stood up abruptly. “Do not turn her back on. Find out how the Creator can communicate to us through her.”

Higger nodded. “O-of course. I'll do whatever I can.”

It was a short walk through the station to the main room. Copper noticed there were a lot of people waiting to be processed, seated against the wall or standing in front of a desk. But everyone was looking at one person in the room, and it wasn't hard for Copper to figure out why. With a mane made up of something like dark smoke, and wearing a flowing violet dress. “Oh there you are, Copper!”

“See, Ms. Nightingale, he is right here.”

“Nightingale?” Copper said as she rushed towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and he blinked and looked around. “Uh...”

“Oh and here I was actually worried. How foolish of me.” She was smiling at him, looking around. “It's been a while since I've been to London...” She held him at arms length, looking him up and down. “You are filthy. What have you been doing?”

“Working.” Copper looked at her a moment and then down at Scootaloo, who was giving him an annoyed look. “Don't look at me like that.”

“Who's this, hm? Another one of your 'friends'?” Scootaloo seemed to have mastered the scowling frown. Nightmare, or Nightingale as she was apparently calling herself, was fussing over his collar and adjusting his bowtie.

He chuckled softly. “I'll explain when we're in a more private area. It's all rather...complicated.”

“Uhm, Copper Feather?” There was an officer approaching him, he felt like he recognized him but he had seen so many in the last few hours they were all starting to blur together.

“Yes?” He reached up and loosened his bowtie. It was comforting to have one on, but the way that they were worn here felt weird on his throat.

“Could you come with me? There's someone from Interpol here to see you.” The pony turned and was walking towards the entrance to the building out into the public area.

Copper's brow furrowed slightly as he went after him, Nightingale was clinging to him the entire time, humming to herself. Scootaloo was still glaring at him. The door practically burst open as they were approaching, and there stood a tall, almost white pony with blonde hair. “Ah, Chrysalis,” Copper said with a smile, it was hard not to recognize her, especially when he had seen her in that form before.

There was a look of relief on her face, quickly replaced by annoyance when she saw some other pony clinging to him. “I see you're doing well...who's this?”

“This is Nightingale. She was here to assist in my release but I have already taken care of that.” There was still a look of displeasure from Chrysalis, one which Nightingale seemed to revel in.

“Then why is she still here?” Chrysalis said, glaring at her.

“To make sure he makes it out of here,” she responded.

“Well you're not needed. I'm here now.”

“Oh? And what makes you so important, hm?” Nightingale released him.

“I have actual legal sway in the matter,” Chrysalis snapped.

“Well it looks like you weren't needed here at all, either.”

“And you aren't needed now. Why Copper thinks that he needs to be around such...ponies is beyond me.”

“Oh another thing that's out of your reach, hm?”

“How dare you!”

Copper watched as the argument spiraled further and further out of control. He assumed any moment now it would get physical and the two would bludgeon each other to death. It was such an odd contrast, Chrysalis in white against the dark blue of Nightingale. “Copper?” He looked down at Scootaloo. “Are you just...gonna stand there and watch?”

He chuckled softly and walked between the two of them, gently pushing them apart as he walked. “Sorry,” he said to the following Scootaloo. “I'm not used to having anyone fight over me with such passion.” The two perplexed ponies stared after him. “It is an...odd feeling.”

“One that you were enjoying,” Scootaloo folded her arms at him.

“I would be lying if I said I was not.” He pushed open the door and made his way outside.

~

A second argument had broken out in the car as they were driving. Chrysalis had a vehicle apparently, a very nice one in fact. Copper sat in the back with Scootaloo, she had insisted on that to keep them from arguing over who got to ride beside him. But it had not helped keep them civil. Copper was not even sure what they were arguing about, he had lost interest quite a long time ago. Instead he had dozed slightly, trying to catch up on sleep before his next confrontation, and he had a lot of things to think about. Such as Chrysalis being apart of Interpol. Or how the Creator had been able communicate with them through Emily. Or even this mysterious contractor that wanted Scootaloo.

“Why do you think they're after you?” he said eventually, looking at Scootaloo beside him.

She blinked and looked up at him. “I don't know,” she said as she turned away, staring out the window.

“Yes, you said that. But I know you're smarter than that, Scootaloo. You may not know the reason why, but you have some ideas.”

He could tell she was frowning. “I don't.”

There was silence for a moment, the argument had been put on pause to let Copper speak. “All right. Well, if you do think of anything, let me know.” He sighed softly as he looked out the window. He knew that she knew. She knew something at the very least, but didn't want to tell him. They were coming up to a massive complex. “I take it that's the place?”

“Yes.” Chrysalis said as she pulled up to a massive metal door. A griffon with machine gun walked up to Chrysalis's side of the car and she showed him something. “Agent Chrysalis, Interpol. We're here to speak with Doctor Vonzinzer.”

The griffon looked confused, looking at the odd group in the car. “Really?”

Copper was watching the diamond dog with similar garb walk around the car. He opened the hood of the car first, checked under every tire and then inside the trunk. “Yes. Really.”

“Who's in the car?” The diamond dog said, looking in the back window.

“This is Nightingale, civilian. Scootaloo, also a civilian. And-”

“Detective Copper Feather,” he said with a smile at the griffon, passing the passport thing the Chief Inspector had given him.

“Ah...yes...” The griffon passed it back. “Sorry, have to check everyone, you know how it is.”

“Oh yes, no rush,” Copper said as he relaxed back in his seat. “Though the car that's parked three blocks away the way we came had been following us since Scotland Yard. It's gray, license plate Eight Seven One, R Six Five Nine Zero.”

“That's a fellow Interpol agent,” Chrysalis said, frowning back at him. “Why didn't you mention you spotted it?”

“Oh you and Nightingale seemed so wrapped in your conversation, I didn't want to interrupt,” Copper said with a smile at her. “My apologies. I was mistaken.”

“You said Nightingale, right?” The diamond dog leaned in the window slightly. “Oh wow! It is. Wow. I've seen all your movies, Miss Nightingale.”

She smiled at him. “Why thank you. It's always so wonderful to meet a fan, especially over here in Europe.”

Copper had never seen a diamond dog look bashful, it was a very odd sight. “Begin' your pardon, ma'am, but would it be possible to get your signature?”

“You can do that later,” Chrysalis snapped. “Copper may not be in a hurry, but I would like to get going.”

The diamond dog stood upright. “Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am.”

Copper watched the two of them retreat, one of them going to the wall up to what looked similar to a telephone. “That was a bit harsh, Chrysalis,” he said as the gate began to open.

“I'd rather not have her waste all of our times pandering to these men.” Chrysalis was frowning as she parked the car.

“Well, you both will have plenty of time when I talk to Vonzinzer.” They glanced back at him. “I'll be speaking to him alone.”

“You cannot be serious.” He had assumed Chrysalis would be against it.

“I have to agree with Miss Interpol here.” It was weird seeing Nightingale side with her.

“And I'm against it as well.” Scootaloo was glaring at Copper.

“Tough. None of you can stop me, nor would you stop me. The fact is I do not want, or need any of you talking with him.” He couldn't help but be firm about it. It was something that he had to do. “You will be nothing but a distraction. Besides, I need help finding Gilda. We don't have any leads and as soon as I'm done with Vonzinzer, we're going to speak with her.”

“And you're asking us to do that?” Nightingale was looking back at him with a large grin. “I'm very good at finding people...”

“As am I,” Chrysalis said, casting a sideways glance towards Nightingale.

Copper was fairly certain that the inside of the car got hotter from the intensity of their glare. He shook his head slightly as he got out. “I wont be long. Keep an eye on Scootaloo, please.” Scootaloo stared at him as he closed the door on her. “Probably an hour.”

Scootaloo rapidly rolled the window down. “I don't even get to come inside?” she said, extremely annoyed.

He chuckled softly as he ruffled her hair before turning and walking away. “Nope, when I said alone, I meant alone. And I want to make sure you're safe.”

She rolled up the window as angrily as physically possible. “Fine.”

There was no safer place for her that he could think of. Two resourceful ladies that would hate to disappoint him. “What's your business?” There was another guard at the front door.

Copper offered him the passport thing. “Detective Copper Feather, I'm here to see Doctor Vonzinzer. The chief inspector of Scotland Yard should have phoned ahead and explained some of the situation.”

The guard handed it back and nodded. “Yes...they told me about that.” He watched Copper as he took the passport back and tucked it into his empty gun holster. “Got anything on you that you shouldn't? I have to ask.”

“Nothing that I'm aware that I'm not allowed to have.” He opened his jacket, showing the guard that he had nothing. Copper realized how he literally had nothing but the clothes on his back, the passport and his gun holster. His pockets were empty.

“Strange place to keep your badge,” the guard said as he pushed a button on the intercom. “Detective Copper Feather is here.”

There was a buzzing noise and a click before the guard opened the door. “Thank you,” Copper said as he made his way in.

“Straight back to the desk, please,” the guard said as he let the door closed.

Copper looked around at the large room with it's pillars. It was an oddly elegant room. Copper wasn't entirely sure what this place even was, but it wasn't important as he walked towards the large desk. There was a female griffon that Copper felt he recognized sitting behind it. “Good afternoon, Detective.”

“Afternoon.” He stood at the desk as he watched her place a pen in front of him.

“Sign the ledger, please.” She opened a book beside him, giving it a vague tap. Her eyes never left him as if she was struggling to get a read on him.

“Of course,” he said as he gave a quick signature on the lowest spot, signing it CoFeath.

“If you don't mind me asking, what do you expect to accomplish by coming here? I would expect you are aware of the difficulties everyone has dealing with Vonzinzer.”

Copper looked at her as he laid the pen down, making sure that it made a click on the desk. “Yes, I have heard that. But I'd like to see for myself.” He smiled slightly. “I'm thorough like that.”

She was frowning at him. “Well you're lucky the higher ups agreed that it wouldn't be a waste to let you see him.” She pointed off down a hall to the left. “Basement floor seven, the guard will tell you where to go from there.”

“Thank you,” Copper said as he walked off down the hall she had indicated. It was starting to bother him where he had seen her before. Suddenly he perked up, snapping his fingers. “Ah yes, that's where it was.” He smiled a bit. It had been at one of Lady Evale's parties. He had never learned her name, but it made him feel better that he knew where it was from.

The elevator was already open and there was a large diamond dog standing in there, already glaring at him. “What floor?”

“Basement seven,” Copper said as he got into the elevator.

“Ah, you're the Detective person to see the crazy doctor.” The diamond dog swiped a card and pushed a button. A second later the door closed and Copper felt the elevator begin its decent.

“Why do you say he's crazy?” Copper leaned vaguely against the side of the elevator.

“He yells at the lot at the wall. Breaks lotsa stuff. A lot of things like that. But I'm not usually down on that level, that's where the scientists are. I like elevator duty though, it's easy and relaxing. Shift's really long though.” Copper was sure that the diamond dog could break anyone who came into this elevator without authorization, but there also seemed to be a bit of intelligence on top of the brawn.

“I can imagine that it could get a bit boring standing in one spot just going up and down all day.” The elevator came to a trembling stop and the door opened. “I couldn't sit still for that long...”

“I like the peacefulness. Gives me time to think. Anyways, the crazy room is down the hall to the left. Room seven fifteen.”

“Thanks.” Copper stepped out into the hallway, looking left at the dim lit hallway.

“Careful you don't get lost,” was the last thing Copper heard before the elevator doors closed and he was alone.

Copper took a deep breath as he began walking down the hall. There were barely any lights, most of the light came from large windows, which when Copper looked in the first he saw several figures around a table. They all watched him walk passed as though he were the most interesting thing they'd seen all day. The next several rooms were all empty, most looked like examination rooms. The door wasn't hard to find, it was a very heavy door and the only one with a guard. “Copper Feather?”

“Detective, yes.” Copper always made the point to make sure that people understood that part.

The guard grunted in response as he entered something on a keypad behind him. “He's riled up today, no idea why.” The door clicked and the guard gestured for him to go in. “Just knock when you want out.”

The door snapped behind him when he walked into the room and copper stood at the back of a large lecture hall. There were rows upon rows of desks, all facing a rather annoyed looking griffon who was furiously writing on a wall sized chalkboard. The entire chalkboard was covered in numbers and designs. “Now! Can anyone tell me where the mistake is?”

Copper walked quietly down the steps, passed the rows of desks, which all had odd constructs in them. None of them moved, but as Copper passed he noticed each one had piles of papers in front of it, all filled with scribblings in the same scratchy handwriting.

“No one?!” The griffon slammed the piece of chalk down onto the ground and began frantically writing something on the floor. “It's a simple, such a simple thing...where is it?!”

“Your scale is off on part of the engine,” Copper said and the griffon froze. He had been working over the diagram as he walked towards the griffon. “You're right, it is a simple mistake, but one that screws up every proceeding piece by a slight enough measure that by the end you're entire design is beyond any sort of recovery.”

The griffon stood up, examining his own designs. “That's...exactly right!” He turned and threw the piece of chalk at Copper.

It bounced off his chest, leaving a small spot of white on his coat. He watched as it clattered to the ground and rolled away. “What-” The whirring of a machine snapped his attention back to the old griffon and he dove to the side at the sight of a flash.

Copper didn't dare look out from behind the desk. The ground where he had been standing had been peppered with bits of metal. “Hah! Nice dodge! Smart, and quick!”

“Some kind of shotgun?” He crawled slowly behind the desks. “But it's got way too tight of impact at that range to be a shotgun...” He leaned against the desk, they were heavy duty wood but he doubted they could survive a blast from whatever that had been. His suspicions were quickly realized when the desk he had first taken cover behind exploded.

“Ah! You moved!”

“Of course I moved you blasted old man!” Copper rolled to the side quickly, but there was no shot. “Long reload time?” The table he had shouted behind exploded. “Long reload time...”

“So! Who did they send for my secrets this time, hm? Who did Interpol send to pester me with their nonsensical questions?!”

“I'm not with Interpol!” Copper slipped to the side and then through the hole that the last explosion had made, rolling to the left as soon as he was behind cover of the next row. The desk he had initially ducked behind exploded. “How many shots does he have?” he muttered to himself.

“Not with Interpol, eh? So they're outsourcing? They haven't tried to get anything from me in five years!”

“Five? Jeez...” Many of the constructs that had been seated had fallen over and Copper made his way over to one. Tools littered the floor...it was perfect.

“You think things will be different?” He pulled several pieces of the construct off. “All they want is for me to build weapons...so I build them! I build them, and then shoot them at any who comes to claim them!” He took off his coat, and began building quickly. “I, was a scholar! Am a scholar! I was one of the greats! I taught dozens of those little cretins who think they can change the world with machines!”

“Just keep talking, old man...” Copper muttered as he wound the device. It was crude, but it would move and move fast.

“Do you understand how difficult it is for a teacher to not teach? It is what I loved, it was my passion. Forget machines, I could teach math for all I care!” Copper heard the whirring and one of the desks exploded.

Copper fumbled a bit as it was a tad too close for comfort and some shrapnel from the desk had nicked his arm. “Jeez...well at least he's talkative...”

“But no. I build one clockwork, and it just so happens to lose control, just as a diplomat happens to be passing by, they outlaw clockworks and ship me off to serve out my sentence here! Here!?” Another desk exploded, but this one was far away from Copper.

He attached his coat to the device and let it go. It made a quick little squeaking noise as it took off down the lane towards the center. “Go little guy, go quick.”

The griffon took the bait, as the coat trailing behind the device passed a walkway and ducked behind some more desks the griffon fired at it. “Where do you think you're going?!”

Copper was up over the desk, a few skips along the top of desks and he had cleared the room and made one final leap. There was some large machine the griffon was on top of which had, as far as Copper could see, a cannon attached to the front. But now it was facing the wrong way. The griffon hardly had time to turn before he was clotheslined by Copper's wing and sent sprawling onto the floor. He caught himself easily and rolled the old griffon over, placing a foot on his back to pin him. “My name is Copper Feather, I'm a Detective from New York city. I would like to ask you some questions.”

“Questions?!” The griffon struggled. “No! No questions! That is all I ever get from you blasted people! How are you today, Doctor Vonzinzer? What would you like to eat, Doctor Vonzinzer? What are you making, Doctor Vonzinzer?! How do you make a thermonuclear weapon, Doctor Vonzinzer?! What is the exact weight of cannonball sized piece of gold, Doctor Vonzinzer?! How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon, Doctor Vonzinzer?! No! No questions!” It was obvious to Copper that this griffon's mind had cracked from isolation.

He stared down at the wiggling griffon, watching his hands as they grasped for things, but nothing was in reach. “Fine. Then I'll just talk and we'll see if you have anything to say on a particular subject.” Copper stepped away, watching as the griffon rolled over, ready to continue fighting, only to be disappointed by seeing Copper a ways away. “A month ago I was attacked by a clockwork, in New York.” Immediately Copper had Doctor Vonzinzer's attention. “It attempted to not only kill me, but it was going to kidnap my associate.” He moved to the large cannon, examining it as he spoke. “It called itself Emily.”

Vonzinzer slumped against the wall bellow the chalkboard. “He is still building them...”

“Yes. The one that I fought the first time- yes I have fought two of them now, the first one was a Mark Twelve, and the second one was a Mark Fifteen. I've no idea what the latest model is, but I'm certain that it's well beyond fifteen. Currently I have the Mark Fifteen in my possession-” the griffon shifted towards Copper with excitement. “-at Scotland Yard.” Again the griffon slumped. “I got a good look at it's inner workings, but I find it strange that the one calling himself the Creator leaves no mark on his machines, nothing to say that they are his.”

“Because he does not need to. No one can come close to that kind of genius.” Copper looked at Doctor Vonzinzer. “Look at the world ten years from now, and the Mark Two will be more advanced than anything out there.”

“Why not the mark one?” Copper reached a hand into the cannon, examining some of the controls.

“Because I built the first Emily.” He placed his hand onto his chest. “It was the most beautiful thing I had ever built, it moved almost like a pony. Almost perfect...but then...”

“It killed the ambassador from Britain.” The griffon nodded, laying down on the floor on the scrawling he had made earlier. There was an odd squeaking noise and Copper saw the little thing he had made, making its way around the room, trailing his jacket. “Such a shame...” He reached down, catching it by his coat.

The griffon leaped onto the device and pulled it from his coat before Copper could react. But Copper let him have it. He double checked that his passport was still in it's holster, which thankfully it was, before putting on his coat. “This is what you made?”

“Yes. It's crude, but I just needed to distract you.” He was fixing his sleeve, which had been rolled up as the little machine had dragged it.

“You call this crude?” The griffon had mostly taken it apart. “It is so...simple... Simple is what I would call it, not crude.”

“Well, I've always had a certain way with machines. I enjoyed studying, and learning from both versions of the Emily. I would have thought that this was something from them.” He gestured to the chalk board. “It's very similar to their...heart. I'm not sure what you call it. But it seems...”

“Crude...” The griffon was holding the small device, staring at it. “What questions do you have?”

He looked down at Doctor Vonzinzer. “I thought you said no questions?”

“I'll make an exception, for now...now, ask before I change my mind.”

“I only have two. Who is the Creator, and where is he?” Copper pulled his hands from the cannon, it had at least thirty more shots in it. He was glad he went with his plan to rush, rather than wait it out and try to have him run out of ammo.

Doctor Vonzinzer laughed, and shook his head. “The Creator, as you call him...was a student of mine. Very bright. Impeccably intelligent. He could take apart anything, and build near anything from it. I was sure that he would lead the world into a better place...and then...”

“The war.”

The griffon nodded. “Yes...the war... It was so brutal...”

“I know. I was there, for some of it.” He sighed softly, closing his eyes a moment. Every time he closed his eyes now for very long he swore he could hear bombs in the distance and screaming.

“I see it left it's mark.” Vonzinzer was holding the small device as if he would die if he let it go. “But that has not weakened you...you have not let it. You have turned it into strength...”

“I'm aware of that. Now, back to the Creator.” He looked at Doctor Vonzinzer on the floor.

“They attempted to draft him, and he fled. I was a teacher, and too old for the draft, so they only sought me for my knowledge of machines. Had they known of his skill, I am sure they would have used him for that as well...”

Copper took a deep breath. “And where is he now?”

“Why do you hunt him?” the griffon asked. “He is not the kind of thing you want to go after.”

“He tried to kill me, which I could care less over, but...” He gripped the side of the cannon. “He tried to take my daughter, because he was hired to. I'm going to find him, and beat out the information I need, if I have to.”

Doctor Vonzinzer looked at him a moment, and then nodded. “That's a good reason...funny how you'd go so far out of your way to find out the information...”

“You were not the reason I came to London in the first place.” Copper turned towards Doctor Vonzinzer. “You were a bonus. Now, enough delaying. Where is the Creator?”

There was a grin on the old beak of Doctor Vonzinzer. “Yanno...he writes to me, often. Sending me little cryptic messages through his secret contacts...and there's one thing that's always the same on ever letter...the post office that the envelope is from.” He crawled slowly over to his desk and after a moment of fishing though it, pulled out an envelope. “His most recent, which arrived not long ago, was most surprising, as it was not addressed to me.” He held the letter out to Copper.

Copper took it hesitantly and looked at the front of the letter. It was addressed to him. That cocky bastard... He was several steps ahead of him already. The worst part of it was the return address. Otsego, New York. What was written on the letter just made him mad. It was just another spit in Copper's face. “Try me.”