Mark was able to bid on the male snow elf without issue. The bidders were all rattled by who the unseen bidder was. They knew whoever bid on the female would try for the male. When they still didn't see the bidder, they dropped out. Turk pointed his trunk at them, finally announcing the winner in the center. People all turned to look, and Mark pinched Matthew, causing him to jump away. Matthew shot him a stern glare, asking a bit heatedly. "Why did you do that?" Mark flipped the metal disc to a spot between his teeth, before answer. "You won. You should be kissing my ass." Matthew's eyes widened in shock, before he grumbled out. "How did you bid? I was watching you the whole time!" Mark chuckled, discreetly removing the disc from his mouth to answer innocently. "It's a trade secret. Just remember. I did the bidding, but your buying." Matthew waved a dismissive hand, muttering out. "I know. I know. Come on, let's get going."

Matthew started to walk toward the front door, where the little payout auction window was. Only to stop short, when he saw Mark wasn't following him. Mark's eyes were on Turk as he moved to the container with the Slum Dog. Matthew tugged on his sleeve, telling him casually. "Are we leaving or what?" Mark cleared his throat, mumbling to Matthew. "Just a minute. I'm not done here." Mark made his way into the group, listening to Turk tell them all. "Next up, we have an undefeated racing slum dog. He's been cleaned... thoroughly. And from what we know, he's never been mounted. What do you say? Bid starts at a thousand credits. Anyone?" Scuffs and disgusted snorts came from the crowd. Most of the Nobles moved to the next container, but not Mark or Duke Cannova. Duke raised his hand to start and Mark nodded his head to up the price. Turk started into his auction drawl, continuing to go between them. Matthew rushed up to his side, asking over Turk's drawl. "Mark? What are you doing? That's a mutt. He's not worth the credits!"

Mark ignored him and kept bidding. The Duke snorted at a bid of ten thousand credits, asking him dryly. "What does an Elite like you want with a dirty Slum Dog? Your pet like the taste of rotten meat that much?" Mark flashed Duke a wicked grin, answering. "You could say that." Duke upped the bid, snapping out. "You must want this mutt pretty fucking bad then, huh?" Matthew tugged on his arm in warning, telling him sternly. "Mark, don't do this! What will Mother think?! Don't waste your money! He's not even trained!" Mark locked eyes with Turk, shouting out. "Hundred million credits." Nobles gasped and choked on their champagne. Duke gestured a hand across his throat to signal that he was out. Then to Mark, Duke told him completely perplexed. "The mutt isn't worth fifty thousand credits. What could possibly make him worth so much to you? I'm genuinely curious. He's too pricey for pet food..." Mark straightened himself up, stating back bluntly. "You're right. Feeding him to something is a waste... I have other plans for him."

Mark locked eyes with the Slum dog. The guy looked thoroughly confused with what just happened, but Mark only smiled with pride. Nothing ever stood between him and what he wanted. He had money to burn and he was just bored enough to see how much spirit this mutt had. Mark made his way to the auction window, while Matthew tailed him, snapping out discreetly. "What have you done?! You can't tame that thing! It's wild! It'll kill you in your sleep!" Mark patted Matthew's shoulder, telling him calmly. "Relax. I'm immortal in the city. Mother won't let me die. Besides, I can handle a mere Slum Dog." Matthew went on a rant about the viruses that they carried and the behavior issues they exhibited. None of it matter to Mark. Pressing his fingers to the register to pay, he turned slightly to tell Matthew firmly. "He's not untamable and I'll prove it." Matthew shook his head, snapping back. "You've lost your mind." Mark confirmed the address for the delivery location, then chuckled out to Matthew smugly. "You don't understand, Matthew. For the first time... I'm actually eager to go home."

Sean stood in stunned shock. Had someone actually bought him? He couldn't believe this. This was a nightmare. The container opened and the Valkyries took ahold of the rods. Unlocking them, they pulled him from the container. Sean dragged his feet, he kicked out at anything and anyone that he thought he could reach. The Valkyries handled him without issue, steering him clear of everything that he could use to hurt others or himself. Sean screamed behind his muzzle, jumping and tugging against them with every bit of strength he had. He knew androids were strong, but these things were inhumanly strong. They made him look like a puppy on leash! Nothing he did even made them flinch or move. They dragged him to an awaiting car that had the trunk open to reveal a large square cage. The human driver leaned against the side of the car, smoking a cigarette. The Valkyries tried to bring him to the car and Sean practically hung himself to brace his feet against the sides of the car.

The Valkyries pulled him away, before forcing him to his knees on the pavement. The driver puffed his cigarette with a smirk, chuckling out. "Well, look at all the restraints on you, Mutt. You best start behaving, or your master will break that fine ass of yours." Sean wanted to say what he'd break on him for looking at his ass, but it would only be muffled anyway. The Valkyries took ahold of him with harsh grips in order to remove the rods from his collar. Sean saw his chance to break free, but these androids knew how to keep him in his place by force. Hitting them would only hurt him and they knew it. The driver pulled a chain from the back of the cage and attached it to the ring of Sean's collar carefully. He recognized this device and cursed. The chain began to retract, forcing him to the cage. He tried to use the car as leverage to keep from going in, but the Valkyries stepped in to lift him up. With his arms in the straight jacket, he couldn't stop himself from being pushed in. They carefully wedged him inside, then grabbed his ankles.

Sean squirmed on the thin gel mat beneath him, rolling onto his side to kick more. It didn't stop them from cuffing his ankles up with a short chain between them. Once his legs were better restrained, they shut the iron bars and then the trunk. Sean was thankful that this chain didn't retract too much. It allowed him to sit up in the center of the cage. The cage was just long enough for him to be on all fours and just high enough to sit upright. The windows to the back of the vehicle were all heavily tinted and there was a divider between him and the driver. With nothing to do, Sean tried to calm himself down and think. They couldn't keep him like this forever. He just had to be alert. Observe his surroundings. His time would come. The driver navigated the roads fast and smooth. No bumps. No stopping and starting. Just a continuous drive. He could hear an automated voice chatting inaudibly with the driver. Was the car alive? Compared to the Slums, this place was beyond anything he ever imagined.

Everything here was so high tech and brightly colored. It was literally as different as night and day. The driver drove into a building, rolling down his window to tell something on the wall a floor number. Sean looked around for a house, when the car rose up into the air rapidly. Sean saw that every floor had a little parking lot and... a door? What was this? The car stopped rising and the driver drove off and into one of the two parking spots. The driver then stepped out and made his way over to the door. Sean scooted closer to see a hologram open the door. The woman nodded, gesturing the driver to come in. The driver tipped his hat, then walked to the car to open the trunk. Sean literally growled and kicked the cage. The driver smirked at him, telling him smugly. "Don't worry. I'm not dragging you out." The driver grabbed a handle on the end of the cage, pulling it out enough to press something under the cage. A bright light shined beneath the cage, causing the cage to hover.

The driver then pulled the cage out like it weighed nothing and pulled him into the door. Sean snorted with disgust. He had hoped to fight with the driver for a chance at freedom. That wasn't going to happen now. Inside the door revealed a large two-story apartment. There was a kitchen on one side. A living room in the center. What looked like three rooms on the other side and stairs leading up to three more rooms above. The far wall was actually a set of large windows that overlooked the city. The woman hologram gestured to a spot by the sofa in the living room, telling the driver in a sweet polite tone of voice. "Right here is fine. Thank you, Sir. I transferred you a tip. I hope you have a nice day." The driver positioned the cage, then clicked the thing under the cage again, allowing it to slowly lower itself to the floor. The driver then tipped his hat to the hologram with a smile, telling her as he walked out. "Much appreciated, Ma'am. You keep your circuits clean." The woman blushed, closing the door behind him. Sean rolled his eyes.

The woman strolled over to him, her arms folded behind her back as she leaned down to look at him with bright curious eyes. Smiling at him, she told him. "Hello there. I'm the home A.I. and Master Fischbach calls me 'Peebles.' You can call me Amy if you want though." Sean kicked the cage in response. Amy straightened up with a slightly sad expression, telling him. "I'm sorry. I can't let you out, until the Master comes home. Please understand. I do hope we can become friends." Sean snorted, squirming in his straight jacket. Amy bit her lip as she glanced around, then asked him chipperly. "I should get dinner started. Do you like meatloaf?" Sean stopped struggling to blink at her blankly. What the hell was meatloaf? All they had for food in the Slums were nutrient bars that looked like cubes of oil and tasted like bitter sludge. Amy tilted her head confused, then covered her mouth as she apologetically told him. "Oh, I'm sorry. It didn't occur to me that you might not know what it is. Here. I'll show you. I have a cookbook with pictures."

She dashed off, leaving Sean to struggle with his restraints more. When she skipped back, she held out a book with directions and a picture of 'Meatloaf.' Leaning forward, he read the ingredients and didn't know any of it. He honestly didn't know if he'd like it... but it looked alright. Amy smiled warmly at him, starting to chat away as she started to prepare whatever it was. Sean didn't listen to most of her ramblings. He was focused on escape. After what felt like an hour though, he gave up and just sat watching a hologram screen that Amy had brought up before the sofa. It was playing a movie he had never seen and for a time he forgot where he was and what was happening to him. The apartment was so clean and smelled of sweet scents mixed with the strong smell of the cooking food. The place was rather relaxing. One of the times Amy passed him to tidy up a room, she excitedly giggled out to herself. "I'm glad Master got you. I was getting lonely being here by myself all the time."

Sean adjusted uncomfortably in the cage, when a loud 'Bing' rang throughout the house. Amy stopped setting the table, glancing toward the door, before she squealed excitedly and told him. "He's here! The Master is home!" Amy dusted herself off to Sean's amusement. She was a hologram... She didn't have anything to 'dust' off herself. She quickly skipped to the door, straightening her clothes, before opening it. Standing to the side, she went into a low bow, telling the man happily. "Welcome home, Master. Dinner is almost finished and the pet you bought is waiting in the living room. As you instructed in your message." Sean tensed up in the cage as the man entered. The man removed his white coat, hanging it up on a rack, upon telling Amy nicely. "Thank you, Peebles. I'm sorry that I kept you waiting. I had to help my brother with his own pets." Amy closed the door, skipping past the man as she excitedly stated out. "That is ok. It gave us time to bond a little. I'm so happy you got a pet, Master. I know it's a huge responsibility, but I have missed caring for one."

The man yanked up his long grey sleeves, before kneeling down in front of his cage. Sean glared at the man in response. Amy chipperly bent over in her cute way, addressing the man curiously. "I introduced myself... but he is unable to give me his name. Does he have one, Master Mark?" Mark smirked back at him smugly, answering Amy in a casual tone. "His name is Sean." To Be Continued...